Luv Sikk
by Lumi75
Summary: 3 years ago, Hisoka and Illumi met at an underground party in York Shin. Hisoka x Illumi YAOI
1. Chp 1: Teaser

Summary: 3 Years Ago, Hisoka and Illumi both happen to be in York Shin at the same time for different reasons. They end up in the same club, same hotel...same bed?

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Togashi and Shueisha

Warning: YAOI

XXX

Illumi and Hisoka kept silent and distant as they rode up the elevator of the M. hotel in York Shin City. It was 4:35 am in the morning and both youths had just experienced one of the longest and craziest day of their lives.

As Hisoka stared at neon "BAR "E"" sign flick off in the distance and disappear into the orange gridwork of streetlamps, he glanced at his partner, who had his arms crossed and back to the glass. His face was hidden behind his long, glossy hair, but his stiff posture reminded him of his warning…"Don't touch me in public— or you're dead".

Illumi Zoaldyeck…21 years old – self-obsessed assassin who just got engaged to a Padokian socialite.

Hisoka …25 years old –newest and most uncommitted member of the Genei Ryodan infatuated with two of its members.

Both of them were traveling up to Illumi's penthouse on the 33rd floor…with no idea why they were so attracted to one another when they were both supposed to be in love with someone else.

XXX

A/N: Just a teaser… :P

Title Luv Sikk from Ellen Allien


	2. Chp 2: Separate Lives

Summary: Hisoka and Illumi lead separate lives 24hrs before their meeting.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Togashi and Shueisha except for Kelvin, who belongs to himself.

_**24 Hours Ago**_

_Illumi_

It was 4:35am and Illumi was being chased by Mikey down Kukuru Mountain as part of his morning jog. The hot breath of the albino monster was so close that it tickled his ears, but Illumi stayed ahead. On and on through the dark forest they raced, sending startled birds dashing into the sky. Haunting howls echoed through the hills as tiger-wolves felt impending sunrise stir their blood. Just as the inky outline of the attendant's chalet emerged out of the woods, Mikey overtook him, so he grabbed onto the beast's shaggy fur and propelled himself through the air. The attendants stared open-mouthed as he crashed into their front yard. Mikey immediately pounced upon him and slavered him with drool.

_Hisoka_

It was 4:35am and Machi and Hisoka were jumping across the roof-tops of Hoso in York Shin chased by a gang of suit wearing thugs. The S#&!heads swore and cursed so colorfully that the two of them were out of breath from laughing. "Get back here, ya son of a motherless goat!" "Waste those feckin' eedjits!" Tired of the game, they hurled the packets back at the Mafia and disappeared into the 24h diner next to the train station. When Paku and Shizuku arrived by the 6am coach, they found the two crashed out across the table, snoring.

_ONLY_

It was 4:35am when Kelvin Syakhbandani finally had a chance to relax. He had not slept for the past 72 hours, so busy as he was coordinating the most intense party of the year. But now everything was _perfectissimo _down to the last detail. He brushed back his wavy, shoulder length hair and poured himself a glass of ancient _Vino._ Touching his throatmike, he called and waved for all the tech dudes to join him.

"Are you sure, boss? This is 500dollars per bottle!"

Kelvin laughed, "Only…"

"Only…YEAH!" The techs cheered. "Let's drink to _ONLY!_"

"Hey don't start just yet-- let's wait for everyone."

His favorite techno track animated the atrium of the York Shin Supreme Court, sending the marble floor trembling to the adrenaline pumping beat. The audio phreak's keen ears picked out every level in the mix, from the sound of a guy shrieking through a plastic bag to pleasingly insane guitar riffs. Satisfied that the distorted music could be heard with crystal clarity, he raised his glass and everyone shouted.

Kelvin cracked his aristocratic knuckles.

Doors open in 16 hours.

To the most forbidden party in York Shin: The _ONLY!_

xxx

A/N: Big thanx to Orange-Maple for suggesting Kelvin Syakhbandani's name.

Yes, you read it right, that's the York Shin Supreme Court, lol. The party is hosted for the ultra elite and where better for their rave than the supreme court hired out for the night, so good it's illegal. The atrium is transformed by light screens into something really cool, you'll see in chp 4.

Reviews are love…!


	3. Chp 3: Same City

Summary: How Hisoka and Illumi ended up in the same city.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Togashi and Shueisha except for Kelvin.

-

_**21 Hours Ago**_

_Illumi_

"I don't expect you to answer straight away," Silva said to his son. "You have 24 hours to think about it."

Illumi stared at the engagement contract in front of him. There was a photo of a vivacious young princess with mischievous smile, a list of stats and finally a dotted line for his signature.

This was happening too quickly! He hadn't even dragged himself to more than 4 charity fundraisers. How on earth had he caught the eye of an heiress?

"I suppose this is for the good of our family?"

"Yes"

"… …" Illumi tightened his lips as he examined the contract again. How could he argue with stats like that? His net worth was only xx jennies. Silva: xxxx jennies. Zeno: xxx,xxx jennies. Yet this girl seemed to be from a different planet with a fabulous wealth of xxx,xxx,xxx jennies and the power of an ancient bloodline.

"I doubt I can do any better…but…" Illumi looked more lost than calculating.

"So, do I take that as a yes?"

Illumi took a deep breath, lifted the pen and pressed it on the paper. The pen trembled and suddenly cracked, embedding a fragment into Silva's hair. "I-I…." Shaking his head, Illumi stood up and folded his arms.

"It's normal to get cold feet -- I was the same with your mom. But hey, it worked out fine right?"

_Right._

"Son, why don't you take the rest of the day off and think about it? I promise I won't force you." Silva squeezed his arm. "But you know how useful her background is…." His voice trailed away, like chains.

Stepping into the washroom, Illumi splashed cold water on his face. He focused his cold hard stare at the mirror, determined never to show how deeply disappointed he felt. A sudden urge gripped him to get out, to run far away from Kukuru Mountain and not come back.

Was he crazy? Without his family, without his job as an assassin, what would he be? _Nobody._

He shoved his hands into his pockets and was surprised to discover a silver disc. Ah, that was the a ticket to some event in York Shin that Milluki couldn't attend but kept insisting that he take his place. When he shrugged it off, Milluki got insulted. "What do you mean you don't know about the _ONLY?_ It's a legend! This party will change your life, man!" he emphasized.

_Yeah? In that case, I'll give it a chance… _

_**9 Hours Ago**_

_Hisoka_

By sunset, Spider #4 was dead. Kuroro himself was sitting on his couch, Machi leaning against the door while Pakunoda walked over to the window and drew the curtains. _All exits blocked..._

Hisoka stared at the parchment in front of him. There were 3 handwritten commandments, followed by two handprints in blue, one overlapping the other. If he accepted Kuroro's offer, then he was supposed to cut his palm and place it over the others, sealing his commitment in blood. And then, it's I, Hisoka, take you, Spiders, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, until death do us part. And maybe not even then?

Hisoka shuddered, dark smudges appeared under his eyes and his mind raced. He disliked group activities and taking orders seriously pissed him off. He simply couldn't stand being boxed in.

The window frame rattled as a garbage truck rolled by, a neighbor shouted muffled curses as he watched a sports event on TV, the sound of kids stomping down the stairwell faded away. An ironic smile appeared on Hisoka's silent lips.

Paku took out her pistol and began examining it nonchalantly. Machi scratched a frosty blue file across her nails.

_Will they attack?_

Kuroro sighed, snapped his fingers and the parchment disappeared.

"I don't expect you to answer me right away," he said, rising to his feet. "You have 24 hours to think about it."

He reached inside his pocket, took out a beautifully engraved metal disc and passed it to Hisoka. One side read "ONLY" followed by today's date. On the reverse was a person's name. "This is an event #4 looked forward to all summer." Kuroro said sadly. "I would have attended it for him, but I think it's more fitting that you do."

_ONLY?_ Was this the notorious gathering of the ultra-rich that happened once a year at a forbidden location? Hisoka heard the gossip, but always assumed that it was an urban legend. But no, here he was holding an actual ticket! _Kuroro, Kuroro, Kuroro...if only we had met earlier._

"Your eyes already tell me: yes. But you're afraid you'll lose your freedom. In that case, there is no better thing to do than… go to that party!"

"You've read my mind, Kuroro. But this ticket still has his name on it. How will I get past security?"

"Will you definitely go? Then I'll ask Shalnark to handle the rest. He'll give you a call when he's done."

_In that case, I'll give it a chance…_

XXX

A/N: How is it so far? Reviews are love...!


	4. Kuroro Gaidan: I Feel the Heat

Summary: Under the shooting stars, Kuroro and Kelvin heat up the desert.

Disclaimer: Don't own any characters except Kelvin Syakhbandani.

Warnings: YAOI, **_Rated "M"_** for suggestive themes. _**Don't read if you are below 15 years old.**_

NB: Quollo is Kuroro's alias; Gaidan means "outside story".

**Kuroro Gaidan: I Feel the Heat**

_8 Hours Ago_

_Kuroro_

After leaving Hisoka's place, Kuroro returned home. He was assaulted by a hot breeze as soon as he pushed open the door. So much for the cracks he left in the window, there seemed no escape from the suffocating heat.

His cell buzzed. A message from Shal:

_Hisoka, your ticket has been updated. The location of ONLY is secret, guests will be picked up from a joint in the Old Town called BAR'E'. Doors are open from 10pm – 10am. The party is under the control of Narenda Syakhbandani, one of the ten Godfathers. _

_Have fun. :)_

_PS: Take it Easy, Dancho. _

Kuroro's eyes flashed dangerously at the mention of the 10 Godfathers. Curse them, the old bastards were always ruining everything. Today, Spider #4 was killed by Silva Zaoldyeck, but _they_ were behind it. If only a meteor would crash into this corrupted city, wiping it out in a sea of flames.

Heat flushed Kuroro's cheeks, already bruised from his battle with Silva.

Kuroro took a cold shower to distract his mind from his hate-talk. _Syakhbandani_… _Syakhbandani_ …the Godfather's name kept tugging at the edge of his memories but surely he had never seen it before.

Slipping back into his black leather pants, Kuroro strode over to the kitchen. There was nothing in the fridge but cans of ice coffee and 2 tall Sapporos. He had a masochistic urge: to get drunk and reminisce about #4. So he sat on the couch and pulled up the tab of one beer, which he placed untouched at one end of the coffee table. The other he lifted to his lips.

_Cheers…_

_Damn, we were so ignorant back in the day._

_We even played tag in the trash._

_And what was that VHS cassette all about? ...A mystery…until we sneaked into a movie theatre and …wow…just…wow…then we rushed out and made a video all about us, the Spiders… _

_Now, if that's not ignorant, then I don't know what is._

Kuroro's chuckle turned to choke when he heard a sudden tapping against the windowpane. A wind-tossed branch. Then a voice called, "Q! Hey Q-dog! Are you there?"

_Q? Who the hell calls me Q?_

"Quollo!"

Kuroro looked down. A tanned young man stood beside a quirky BMW X- Country motorcycle. He had shoulder-length wavy hair and fuzz on his upper lip and chin, which gave his youthful features a touch of sleaze. He was dressed in Mafia-chic with a dark suit without tie. Flowery shirt with top 3 buttons undone. Overall, he had an elusive quality that probably attracted many females.

Kuroro pushed up the windowpane and leaned out, "Do I know you?"

"_Ciao Bello!" _He beamed and in the shadow of the streetlamps Kuroro recognized a younger version. _Ah Kelvin, the rich kid who knows what's up. He's changed._

"_Ciao_. Good to see you."

"Where have you been all year? I came round a few times already and you weren't here. But I had a good feeling that today's the day. Looking for this?" He took out a videotape from his tan jacket and waved it.

Kuroro's eyelids flickered. Was that his Ryuuseigai tape? Kuroro had been searching for it for years, ever since it was stolen after a raid. Does Kelvin have any clue what a dangerous object he was holding?

"I'm been mad busy the past few days. But I came here the first thing I could! You won't believe what happened! A couple of days ago we were looking for some shooting star clips for my lightscreen and my tech guy takes out this antique VHS cassette! We played it and at 1:99 into it, it says RYUUSEIGAI….by QUOLLO. I'm like gimme that! I haven't even watched it! I'm so excited!"

The description matched. "You didn't watch it?" Kuroro wondered if Kelvin still thought he was an art collector of _nen _objects.

"No, and I don't want to. I know this tape means a lot to you, so if I watch it I want to watch it together with you. But not yet! When I woke up, I heard the weather report, there's a meteor shower happening right now, like REAL SHOOTING STARS in the desert! I was like, this is serendipity man…If Q's at home then we gotta go for sure. So let's go!"

"Two seconds!" Kuroro ducked back indoors and looked for a clean shirt but all he had was already in the laundry basket. He threw his hands in the air and just decided to rush downstairs in his long black "civilian" jacket over bare chest. At least it had these brown leather straps crossed over the front so he figured he wasn't completely indecent…

Ignoring Kelvin's odd look, Kuroro grabbed the tape from his hands. The black plastic case was scratched at the corners, a faded sticker on the tab inscribed with childishly neat handwriting: THE METEOR CITY BY QUOLLO. He used _Gyo_ and felt his own aura staring back at him, a hot, enthusiastic child's aura. Then his nose picked out a foul wind…the stench of blood. Somewhere, this tape has been fought over, stained by blood. The same awful liquid that gushed onto his arms as #4 crossed over.

"What's wrong – isn't this the right one?"

"Yes. It's the original." _Too precious to be lost again…I must destroy it. May its ashes scatter towards Ryuuseigai. _

Kuroro tucked the cassette inside his jacket. "What are you waiting for? Let's go." He spoke tersely, tension building inside. Not because of shooting stars. He had seen enough to last nine lifetimes.

"Um…you wanna go like that?" Kelvin sneaked a look at Kuroro's outfit.

"I don't have anything to wear. Seriously." _Just. Go._

"Um…sure?"

"Please, shut the fuck up." He finally snapped, pushing Kelvin towards his bike and climbed on after him. One arm already covered his face, the other flung across the driver's chest.

The bike sped off. Kuroro saw the sky open up and shadowy clouds sweep past. Just in time for his tears to tumble away onto the tarmac.

Kuroro remembered:

_Summer in Ryuuseigai had a lot more asteroid action._

...

He remembered:

_They took turns bragging into the camera._

...

He remembered:

_"…Paku, say something!"_

_Paku turned around shyly, she was only 15. "Is it my turn?"_

_She climbed on the rubble, struck a cool, assertive pose and pointed the business end of her finger at the lens, like a pistol. "Bang Bang!"_

_She blew away the smoke with a curl of her lip. "Pffffffft…."_

_"I've got a silver bullet saved for you, Kuroro. With your name on it."_

_"Wooooo-Yeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhh!" Guys and gals cat-called._

_"Aim properly Paku…hit me straight in the heart."_

_"Wahahahahaaaaa!!"_

_A guy obnoxiously barged in front of the camera. "Honey Bunny!" He embraced Paku around the waist. "Forget Kuroro, you can shoot me tonight!"_

_"Fuck you, #4!" Everyone laughed as Paku grew red._

_The camera jogged wildly as Kuroro cracked up uncontrollably._

...

The wind made Kuroro feel free again. He suddenly realized that he had been clinging to the driver, face pressed onto his back. He quickly let go. Kelvin slowed down and pulled over. Without a word, he passed a helmet over his shoulder. Kuroro guessed it was a little awkward.

9 minutes later they passed the city limits and were surrounded by the flat desert landscape. Out here, the wind was still maddening hot. Groups of nature lovers gathered here and there, so the pair got off-road and headed for one of the limestone cliffs about 10 minutes away. And behind the cliffs….Kuroro's could almost make out the smoldering trash-scape of his hometown.

For the highway also led to Ryuuseigai, only 5 hours away.

Shooting stars blazing vertically downwards, like a rain of flares. They parked beneath a cliff.

Kelvin went hyper, as if this was his first time seeing them. "These stars are beyond beautiful – they're scary! Like missiles attacking the earth! Like an evil omen of war, hellfire and wrath of God! Oh yeah, I can just see the crowd go wild when I drop this tonight…woot!"

Kuroro found a large rock and sat down, legs wide apart.

"Hey Q, do you think there'll be a war?"

Kuroro pulled out the videotape and stared at it.

"Yes."

"I've always looked up to you, Q. You're like someone who knows the way. Do you think there will be a way out for us?"

"Depends…what else do the stars say?"

"Life is short, make love, not war!" He laughed.

Kelvin didn't see Kuroro's startled look. He rambled excitedly, eyes glued to the sky. "They're not one whole rock…they're many pebbles each with its own tail. Some fly faster, some fly slower…oh-oh-oh- …they fizzled out…"

"Oh my god! THERE'S A BIG ONE HEADED STRAIGHT FOR YORK SHIN!!"

A blue-green meteor glowing white-hot in the middle shot towards the city, exploding into orange flames at unpredictable intervals. A series of booming sounds shook the air.

"What if it hits our city? And wipes out… everything!"

"And if it did? What would you do?" Kuroro smiled with a sinister edge.

"What would I do?" Kelvin raised both eyebrows ironically. "Volunteer for the fire brigade, of course. Although the tsunami would probably do the trick."

"Actually," he mused, "I'm more concerned about the flames of our own making. Street wars. Oil wars. Power struggles…all the HATE! It never ends!" He put his hands on his hips and stared at the sky. "At least our side has better music. The BEST music. Makes up for everything."

"Our side?" Kuroro's ears perked up.

He avoided the question, said slyly, "Which side are you playing for, Quollo? I hope you don't play for the other side. You'll hurt my feelings."

Kuroro looked amused. "Unlike you, I am not a player."

"Asexual, huh? Impossible! All artists are perverts."

"None of the above is correct."

Kelvin started pacing around, pointed a finger at Kuroro. "ONE of them is correct. You're a perv! I know all about your sick obsession with _nen._ You're driven by a serpent. Ambition. Pride. Mastery. All that dark stuff."

"Like Father, like Son."

"Don't overdo it, Q. And fuck me if I follow in my old man's footsteps."

"Me, I'm not very motivated." Kelvin explained, "But I know what's real. Things you can touch. I provide parties, music, girls, guys…why? Because I want my guests to fulfill their teenaged dreams, the ones they've stored away for years…And guess what? It doesn't take a lot. For instance – you and me now, just watching a meteor storm together…is that enough for me? Yes."

"Maybe enough for now...but soon, you'll want…more. Am I correct?"

"Well…ya got me there." He laughed. He admired Kuroro's calm face, as translucent as the moon, asked softly, "Is that wrong?"

"No."

"No…? So do I have hope?"

"You can _ hope_."

Kuroro smirked, feeling down his jacket and pants. Kelvin stared.

"No, you perv. I'm looking for a lighter. Do you have one?"

"I do…why?" He watched as Kuroro unbuckled the leather straps, licked his lips, then passed it over. "What's wrong? Why so serious?"

"A friend of mine died today."

Kuroro found a spot close to the limestone wall. With his left hand, he gripped the jacket flap and the videotape. With the other, he flicked the Zippo at the opposite corner of the tape. Almost immediately, a gust of desert wind fizzled out the light.

"Are you crazy?! Why?"

"Because the tape contains our past."

Kuroro's expression was so severe that Kelvin just nodded and drew closer to help shield the wind. He looked a little sad as he cupped his hands over the lighter. The damned plastic melted with agonizing slowness.

"Here, let me." He gripped both Kuroro's jacket lapels to free his hands. As Kuroro lit the fire, he sensed a pleasurable tingling over his exposed skin. Kelvin's eyelashes lowered, hiding his thoughts. His lips parted…

The poisonous smoke released from the plastic sent them coughing.

Kelvin broke away and walked over to his bike, taking off his jacket and stuffing his flowery shirt down the fuel tank. He passed it, dripping with rich black unleaded, over to Kuroro. The shirt was designer silk, expensive. But Kelvin only shrugged.

Kuroro nodded.

Kneeling on the ground, he bundled up the cassette and flicked the Zippo. With a roar, flames spurted sky-high. The organic substance shrank, melted and bubbled. Intense energy scalded Kuroro's face as he stared into the crackling heart and saw his _nen_ disintegrate. Too fast, it was over.

Kuroro got up, he felt free.

The faint glow of starlight cast his lone shadow in the sand. Another shadow walked over and overlapped his. An arm draped protectively over his shoulder.

"The past is gone…wanna try something new?"

"Which is…?" Rose stained Kuroro's cheeks and he folded his arms. People were always falling in love with him, expecting him to fall back in love with them. _ I can't do that. I'm the Dancho. I must be fair to all, no favorites._

However, in the heat, these restrictions didn't seem very binding.

Kelvin grasped Kuroro's hips and kissed his cheek. "If you're not afraid of the unknown, then you should do it with me at least once."

"_Its you, its you I want tonight",_ Kelvin was singing.

How could Kuroro have known E.S.P. could be so hot.

"_The heat is on, I want your love tonight." _

The falling stars began to frighten Kuroro. He lowered his eyes and backed up against the cliff until he could go no further. Closing his eyes, he felt hot kisses slide down his bare neck and shoulders. His jacket slipped off and Kelvin caressed his arms, barely touching it.

A warm presence invaded his mouth and Kuroro licked it hesitatingly. His pants grew hot and tight. And in a moment he felt his buttons being undone. _No!_ His hands tried to brush them away but got caught in his partner's palms.

"What is it you want, Q…?" His last word was blown away by the wind. "I can take you there…"

"_Ryuuseigai_." Kuroro barely heard his own words.

"How fitting. Ryuuseigai will be my end …" the somber way Kelvin said it snapped Kuroro awake.

"You know the place?"

"Been there a couple of times with my dad." _Shit._ The only rich people who went there were Mafia. Kelvin immediately picked up Kuroro's tense body language.

The clues painted a picture they didn't like, they should have known...

"Quollo, I knew it when I saw your body." Kelvin was almost in tears. "But we're bigger than all that. Let me take you to a better place. That's my wish."

_Better place? _York Shin being swallowed by a tsunami of fire, skyscrapers ripped off the surface of the earth like a peeling sticker….Kuroro was standing in a sea of red. Even Kelvin's hair flowed like lava through his fingers. A feeling kept building up, deep down inside, it escaped out his throat, and Kelvin was back up, thighs between his, kisses deeper. Kuroro grabbed his neck, his pulse throbbing as fast as his. They couldn't breathe.

Kelvin let him go, searched for something. A flash of lightning in the darkness, and the outline of a square packet appeared between his lips in a feline way.

"Shall we…?"

_Oh Shit._

Kuroro squirmed. He turned his back but Kelvin was on him, embracing him tightly from behind. They slowly fell to their knees Kelvin still on top of him, the weight making him sink back onto his ankles and press the side of his face into his forearm. Kelvin's fingers interlocked across the other one. Kuroro's body trembled uncontrollably.

Kelvin backed off, started laughing almost innocently. His fingers teased, beckoning Kuroro to cross the line.

"_Vieni",_ he cooed gently, as if beckoning to a reluctant kitten hiding behind a trashcan, "_Vieni con me?"_

Kuroro's heartbeat calmed a little, he tried to think, but for the first time in his life, his mind was a smoldering trash-scape, his soul on a journey to the unknown. Overhead, he saw a white bird spread its wings, bigger than the stars.

"Forgive me..._my enemy," _he gasped, arching up.

"Quollo?" Kelvin wasn't sure what he heard, nuzzled his neck and bit it. "Did you say…Fuck me…_to eternity_?"

Kuroro simply nodded and took what life had to offer.

His big eyes widened, his fingers clutched, all dignity lost to the night wind. "Nnnghh… nnghh…!"

9 minutes of fading light, and a new flock of stars blazed across the sky like furious birds. Neither of the pair noticed how it was mirrored on their sweat-slick forms…

"Quollo?"

The unusual sounds made Kelvin want to hear more.

"Can you feel it?" he asked.

"…"

"Feel it getting stronger...?"

"…"

"Just a little longer…?"

"I feel it…" Kuroro pushed. "I feel the Heat."

XXX

XXX

XXX

A/N: "Hot…or Not??"

AHAHAHAHA...

Thanxxx: Orange-Maple for convincing me of the idea…this fic wouldn't exist w/o you!!

Inspired by Awesome Authoresses:

BigSEED "Changes", hinatachan the itaxnaru "I Feel your Pain" and straycat "Shattering Surfaces"!!

My mind has been "broken in" by y'all.

Credits: The suggestive lyrics & title come from classic house song "It's You" by E.S.P.

_**PLEASE REVIEW ...for this one!**_


	5. Chp 5: Same Area

Summary: Hisoka's discussion with Machi about joining the Spiders + How Hisoka and Illumi arrived at the Old Town.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

**8 Hours Ago**

_Hisoka_

Kuroro gave Hisoka one last cool, attentive look as he left his apartment. Hisoka observed him from the corner of his eye while flippantly dancing the silver disc across his knuckles.

Somehow Kuroro's politely distant way of offering a position in the Spiders left him unsatisfied. He expected more. Kuroro was personable, but there was nothing really _personal_ about him. Something felt…missing. That "missing gap" electrified Hisoka like a stormcloud hovering above the earth, irresistibly attracted to the difference in polarity. Sooner or later, once a conduit opens, the unearthly will strike the earth.

_I want to be the one to defeat you._

Hisoka wasn't totally against joining a group, he just didn't want it to last forever, as the Spiders insisted. All he wanted was ONE hour alone with Kuroro. He only needed ONE measly hour. "Just ONE hour…" he said.

"What are you talking about?" Machi's hazel eyes sparkled a little too brightly, like her lipgloss. She looked gorgeously dangerous as she leaned against the door, the edges of her wild, thistle-blue hair catching the light like transparent icicles.

"Ah," Hisoka quickly explained, "I was only wondering how to make my _hatsu_ release at 100 percent for ONE whole hour…"

"Fighting - that's all you guys think about. Ever wonder what you're _really _doing?" She smirked and crooked an eyebrow.

"Simply doing my job as a professional fighter," Hisoka said innocently. "Unlike you, perve."

"So what's his name? This…_opponent _of yours? The one you want to release your _hatsu_ at...?" The teasing way she said "opponent" made Hisoka think of Kuroro and chills went down his spine. He decided to change the subject as soon as he could.

Meanwhile, Machi walked over to his desk and casually moused through the files in his laptop. Hisoka always managed to get his hands on the latest underground music that they both liked. She pressed play and a directly recorded dj set powered the room with its raw excitement.

--

_I want happiness / I seek happiness / To bring you happiness / To be your happiness /_

_( Superpitcher – Happiness ) _

--

Hisoka, who was still sitting on the couch, tossed Machi the metallic ticket to ONLY. It flashed brightly. "Care to join me?" Machi was a good dancer.

"No thanks," Machi said, examining the ticket which still had #4's name on it. "A bunch of us are holding a wake. Besides, I've already been there last year, with him."

"Did you…how was it?"

Machi's eyes shone with intense gold flecks. "Sex." she stated forcefully. "Sex and drugs. Everyone was on drugs, and the music was all about sex. But the dancefloor, what a _dancefloor. _The darkness of the music, the grandeur of the space. Pure beauty in darkness. The sounds of the nocturnal sun can be very alluring."

"Really…I heard ONLY was owned by the Mafia…doesn't that bother you?"

"Fuck Mafia." Machi auto-responded. "But I don't see why we can't learn from our enemies. After all, we used to be one family."

"Does that mean you felt the love, or felt the hate?" Hisoka laughed.

Machi grinned. "I felt…the music…I think the music is…pure Ryuuseigai. I'm glad I got out of the ghetto, but those were my roots. That's _me_, I'm a fighter and that's my life! And for the first time, I heard classy music that spoke the truth about life in the trash-scape. Can you imagine how happy I was? I just went with the flow and forgot about everything and anyone."

Hisoka imagined Machi in the hall surging with human forms obscured by the darkness, channels of light bursting through the mist, bodies feeling special because of the music. He nodded.

"You can understand?" Machi exclaimed. "Then why are you so afraid of joining the Spiders?"

"I'm not afraid. I just don't like to run in a pack. I need my freedom."

"I used to be like you…a loner. But that's not real freedom. I only knew true freedom after I met _Dancho_ and joined the Spiders."

"My, my, do you have a crush on Kuroro?"

"Hisoka, if it's _Dancho_, I'm willing to follow wherever he leads -- even if I have to walk through hell -- because I believe in him." Machi's eyes were dark with memories. "And we've already been through a lot together, both dark times and the light. I love the _Dancho _more faithfully than you can ever imagine. His spirit is my spirit."

"Why…why do you follow him so loyally?"

"Because I'm a fighter. I'm a girl but that doesn't change anything; I fight to live and live to fight. When I was 18, I become the leader of a gang then I fought other gang leaders because there was nothing better to do. After I met _Dancho,_ and he showed me a better system, proved that we could take on bigger and bigger opponents. Any plan _Dancho_ can conceive, he can execute. He's the only one able to challenge us, to push us to go higher, to believe that we _can_ go higher! An small elite group of fighters taking down the whole Mafia army…can you imagine? I've been training all my life for this moment. After we defeat the Mafia, I don't even know what I'm going to do with my life….Only _Dancho_ knows where to lead us."

"That's a fine goal. But I prefer to choose my own goals. I can't stand taking orders."

"…" Machi's eyes were trembling with the emotion of a true believer. "I don't think you understand. How can I explain it in words…? This is about the Spiders moving as one body, one mind. And it gives us more freedom than just living for ourselves."

She started picking at her _nen_ strings and gazed about the room. Cynical lyrics marched across their silence:

--

_I can give you what you what / If you give me what I need / _

_What do you need? / _

_I will give you whatever you won't / If you give me what I won't, bitch /_

_( John Dahlback - If You Give Me )_

--

She got up and sat on the couch opposite Hisoka. "This song reminds me of how life works. Everyone tries hard to get what they need, but there is always one need that can't ever be filled, like a bottomless well. No amount of _nen_ can fill that need. Do you know the answer?"

Hisoka was amused. "Do what I do…reverse the _nen_…up, down and sideways."

Machi grinned in agreement, regaining her attitude. "Ever seen the crowd from the dj tower?" she asked coolly.

"Yeah…I see masses of people, moving to trends. And there'll always be someone doing the counter-trend."

Machi nodded. "But primarily it's about control. Mass control. You want individuals under the command of the music, moving with one body, one mind. They might not all hear the same thing, but the music…if its good music it goes straight to your heart, you hear it and you're there, moving your body…its like falling in love, you can't resist it."

"Okay, I get it now. Are you suggesting that Kuroro wants me to experience mass control so that I can appreciate the Ryodan?" Hisoka joked.

"No, of course not, why would _Dancho_ want Ants in the Spiders?" Machi reached across the coffee table. "Here, take my hand."

"Hmmm" Hisoka said pleasantly, gripping the small nimble hand with pink oval nails. It fitted nicely into his palm…

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not trying to pick you up…"

"Too late now, don't you feel our chemistry…?"

"_No_. But tell me. Do you feel free, or do you feel caged."

"Free…_very_ free." Hisoka's eyes narrowed into two happy arches, but they cracked open again when Machi instinctually snatched away her hand and folded her arms. "Ne, Machi…" he whined.

"Do you feel free following the commands of the music?"

"Free, or maybe even…high…?" Hisoka replied with puppy dog eyes.

"Now you know how I feel about following _Dancho_'s commands. How about the dj, do you think he has freedom?"

"I guess he's as much under the commands of the music as the crowd, but at least he gets to decide."

"_Dancho_ never considers himself when decides. That's exactly how free he feels." Machi said cryptically.

At that moment, Hisoka's cell buzzed. A new message from Shal:

-

_Hisoka, your ticket has been updated. The location of ONLY is secret, _

_guests will be picked up from a joint in the Old Town called BAR'E'. _

Doors _are open from 10:00pm – 10am. The party is under the control of_

_ Narenda Syakhbandani, one of the ten Godfathers. _

-

_Have fun. :)_

-

PS: Take it Easy, Dancho

-

When Hisoka looked up, Machi was already standing by the door.

"Figure it out, if you can." She said and slipped out, leaving only a pretty sneer.

--

_So in love in each others eyes / Seeing thru the end of time / _

_Makes me want to try / Makes me want to try / Makes me want to try / _

_( Yoshimoto - Du What U Du )_

--

**6 Hours Ago**

Hisoka got into his party threads.

A pair of sleek silvery jeans with a reflective stripe down either side and 3 blue stars on his hips. Arctic blue tank. Cell and other slim necessities tucked into his back pocket. That's it - he never had the patience to line up for coat check.

Since he felt a little hyper, he decided to jog the 144 blocks from his low-income neighborhood to the Old Town. In that case, he packed a fresh change of clothes into a gym bag…he wouldn't want to arrive at a party looking less than best.

**5 Hours Ago**

By the time Hisoka arrived at the leafy plazas of the Old Town, he was covered in a slick sheen of sweat. This was not a cool way to arrive at a party, so he ducked into the local bathhouse, put in a 10 zenni coin into the turnstile and had a quick shower to freshen up. He changed into a new tank and paid another 50 zenni for a night locker where he stashed his gear.

As he was getting out, he saw a tall black-haired girl dressed in training gear push the turnstile in the other direction. Hisoka stared at the sign at the entrance, which said: "Gentlemen".

"Hey, lady, you might wanna switch-" he advised, pointing his finger at the sign. The "lady" stared at him emotionlessly. "Can I help you?" he stated in a toneless, but unmistakably male, voice.

"Switch your…stylist," Hisoka chuckled and turned to go. Suspecting the other dude was thinking he was a weirdo he purposely made a nasty cackle. _Suits you though,_ he found himself musing.

After 5 mins of walking, Hisoka spotted the red neon sign of "BAR 'E'" among the row of townhouses and headed over.

--

_Marlin is the lean boy / Marlin is the evil boy / Marlin is the lean boy / Marlin is the lover boy /_

_( Unknown Artist )_

--

A/N: This chapter wasn't easy to write because of the Machi + Hisoka discussion...I'm not sure if it fits in well. Do let me know if I should fix any parts?My brain is numb from listening to too much house music. XD;;;

Next 2 chps arriving tomorrow...Kelvin+Hisoka and Kelvin+Illumi, lol.

Credits: All the lyrics are popular dancefloor tracks.


	6. Chp 6: Same Club

Summary: Kelvin reveals the name of his game. Hiso/Illu first encounter in the club.

Warning: Depicts an underground party, shonen-ai.

A/N: Mr X is the alias of former Spider #4.

I modeled Kelvin's appearance on this dude, but I have no idea who he is- please tell me if you do!! Thanks!

You can cut and paste this link into the address bar then delete the spaces -- **http: / /****img299.imageshack.us/img299/448/kelvinsmodeluf5.jpg**

XXX

**_6 Hours Ago  
_**

_Hisoka_

BAR "E" was a funky, well-established drinking hole with an underground vibe. A disgruntled visitor was being turned away by a tall doorwoman with black framed glasses, grey pantsuit and outrageous black and green braids.

"Honey, are you on the guest list for tonight?" She asked him.

"ONLY for this…"Hisoka took out the silver disc.

She grinned broadly, said, "Enjoy…" and opened the door for him.

The lounge was filled with undercover security pretending to be patrons. One of them escorted him to the bar, where the "bartender", a muscular young bodyguard with cheesy bow tie, cracked jokes while scrutinizing and scanning in his ticket.

"Welcome, Mr Hisoka." He handed the disc back to him. "Since your ticket has been transferred from Mr. X, there is one more formality that we have to complete. The boss would like to have 15 minutes of your time. Would that be fine?"

"Sure, no problem." _Uh-oh, Shal didn't warn me about this…_

"Over here, please." The bartender lifted up the counter-top and he entered the kitchen, which had been converted into surveillance central with walls crowded by CCTVs. Two guards dressed in civilian clothes bowed to him as he passed, while the rest of the techs ignored him. In front of him was a large service door presumably to the back alley, to his right, a double door of thick smoky glass through which he spied a second, secret lounge space completely padded in rich blue velvet. He pushed the mysteriously fluid brass door handles and strolled in.

Darkness enveloped Hisoka. What little light was golden, emerging softly from behind the booths, under the tables and inside the heart of huge quartz crystals serving as lamps. He observed about 200 individuals of all backgrounds mingling in colorful party clothes and suits. A powerful _nen_-bodyguard stationed near the entrance pinned him with eagle eyes. The exit appeared hidden.

Deep, dark and sexy minimalist house grooves pulsed in the background like powerful, pleasurable heartbeats reverberating in an underwater cavern, complete with sonar bleeps. The intensely primeval energy in the room penetrated to Hisoka's core and he felt he was standing at the gates to the underworld. Overhead, there was a slowly moving light projection of twin aurora borealis spiraling ever upwards, like twin serpents encircling a pillar of air, forming and breaking the infinity symbol "8":

Two become one; the logo for ONLY.

A handsome, fresh-faced young man caught sight of Hisoka and impulsively waved his hand above his head. "Hisoka!" he called out, clear brown eyes shining. He excused himself from his circle of admirers and headed towards him.

It was Kelvin Syakhbandani, looking very different from only a few hours ago. Gone was his playboy image with long wavy locks and flowery shirt. For tonight's occasion, he had cut his dark hair short, and dressed professionally in a black Armani suit, white shirt and black tie. If anything, he looked even more attractive than usual, the conservative look bringing out the purity of his gentlemanly features and tall, well-built physique. A hint of fuzz along his upper lip and chin emphasized his cute, full lips shaped like a cupid's bow, the type which probably sent ladies swooning.

"Good to meet you, Mr. Hisoka", greeted Kelvin with a warm handshake. "This is your first time, isn't it? I hope it'll be your best time." He squeezed Hisoka's shoulder and grinned with infectious humor.

Hisoka was amused at Kelvin's casual speech patterns at odds with his reserved look. "Are you the boss?" he asked.

"Yes, I bet I surprised you, didn't I? I've been in this line since I was this big," he said, holding his palm about 1.2 meters off the ground. "I was 10 years old when I started mixing drinks and serving alcohol to the guests in my parent's restaurant. I wasn't even allowed to drink at that time." He laughed.

"Really? Then how would you know if what you made was any good?"

"_I_ didn't know the difference, but apparently our guests could tell, and they kept requesting that I make more. But it's true, isn't it? Drinks_ do_ taste different depending on the person making it. Even if we all followed the same exact recipe, our drinks would turn out different. Why?"

_That's a sign of _nen,_ my boy._ Hisoka gave Kelvin a quick _gyo-over_, saying, "Ah! So that's why the gay bartender down the street can attract more girls than I do!" _Nothing. No nen._ Although he had to admit, Kelvin was slick. He had a way with words.

"Come with me," he said, lightly touching Hisoka's elbow and giving a nod in the direction of the booths. "Since this is our first meeting, I'd like to have a short interview with you. For profiling."

"Profiling, what's that about?" Hisoka asked pleasantly, not moving a step.

"Hmm…?" Kelvin dark eyes flashed with amusement. "No, I'm not going to probe into your affairs. If I did that, I would be dead, since everyone here is connected to the underworld, somehow. But I don't think you paid 1 million zennis just to come here to listen to music, did you?"

"I didn't…pay." Hisoka agreed.

Kelvin voice lowered with a strange commanding intensity. "Business is all about relationships and relationships are my business. There are 532 guests tonight, meeting at an event so forbidden, dark and beautiful that it is almost legendary. For just this small sliver of time, we are creatures of a secret world, and nothing bonds better than a secret…" His handsome face, half-hidden by the blue-green shadows and golden light, took on a very seductive, dream-like quality. "You feel it too, don't you? You feel special, magical. Any relationship you start now will have the emotional power to last a long time. I'm here to introduce you to the right people for exactly what you need…for all your business needs – all kinds of business. You and I both know they're the same." He crossed his fingers symbolically. "My success rate is 70 percent."

"70 percent? That's very impressive for one night's work."

"One night…and everything can change, if it was meant to be," his eyes seemed to gleam with years of experience. "Tell me, are you in love?"

"_Love?_" Hisoka leered. "I am _always_ in love." He stretched out his fingers, then curled them into a fist. "I currently have 2 targets."

"Someone you've already met?"

"Yes."

"Are you actively hunting for them?"

"Yes..."

"The more impossible it seems, the higher your anticipation?"

_Hey, this guy knows!_ Hisoka licked his lips and observed his host. Kelvin, who had covered his mouth, looked deep in thought. Instincts summoned up about 10 people from his mental database of 5,000 guests. Although experience told him this wasn't a numbers game. Of all the countless variables, luck was the decisive factor.

"You're very adaptable, so you'd be excellent in most groups and I'll introduce you to some cliques in just a while…but to make the leap from good to GREAT…?" Kelvin scrunched his face, returning to his usual, goofy approach. "I can only think of _one_ guy, but he's not here yet. Man, you should've been here _last year_, this place was _swarming!_ In fact, Mr. X brought along a whole gang that was just your type…where the hell is that guy, anyways – Mr. X? He said he'd be here! I'm going to give him HELL for ditching me!"

"Save it…he's – Brace yourself, Kelvin. Mr. X already crossed over."

"What!?" Kelvin's eyes went hazel with shock. "I just saw him last month! What the fuck happened?!" he demanded angrily, "Who did it?"

"The Mafia hired a Zaoldyeck to assassinate him."

"Mafia…? Zaoldyeck…?" Kelvin's face drained of color as if he found out his family members had murdered his friend. He suddenly leaned a hand on Hisoka's shoulder and covered his face with the other. He took a deep breath and quickly stepped away, but his whole body was shaking unsteadily. He hugged himself like a fetus, mumbling incoherently, "Dammit, my body hurts…_nghhhhhhh_…_want_ _Quollo_,"

It was Hisoka's turn to be shocked. "_Kuroro?" _Those two knew each other? _No way…_

"No…as in Quoll…with a Q." Kelvin stared uncertainly at Hisoka, lashes wet. "What does he look like?"

"Like a cute, white bunny rabbit…with Marilyn Manson eyes."

Kelvin burst out laughing or crying or both. "That's him, that's him!" A gorgeous woman with a funky beehive dressed in the grey suit of a staff member walked up to him and touched his waist. "Hey boss, need a moment by yourself?" Without a word, Kelvin hugged her tightly and she hugged back with a kind expression, as if used to this particular weakness of his.

_Spoiled brat…_Hisoka thought. Kelvin obviously got a lot of love from ladies who couldn't resist their maternal instincts to take care of him. The body heat seemed to strengthen Kelvin and his face hardened. He let go, whispered his thanks and ran a hand through his short hair in a characteristic gesture as if forgetting his long wavy locks were gone.

"Whoa! What happened there?! I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable…A couple other MMA are already here, you'll know them…Ali M., Joe L, Mike T…" He continued on their way as if nothing happened and started schmoozing and making introductions. Hisoka was a slick networker himself, and he soon had a good grasp of all the cliques in the room and a picked up a few fans as usual.

"Don't you have to spend time with your other guests?" Hisoka asked.

Kelvin looked pleased and casually put an arm around his shoulder. They were about the same height, so it seemed very natural. "Thanks for asking. Most of my guests are already friends. Half of them are regulars, and I've been doing pre-parties the whole summer to promote this event. Subtly of course. Then there will be after-parties too, at Vivithia. I don't want them hanging out in York Shin while I do the clean up!" He laughed. "It's gonna beONE HELLAVA LONG NIGHT!! Oh my god…another 72 hours without sleep! _Woo-hoo!_ I better not forget to shave again!"

"But I'm getting ahead of myself." Kelvin slowed down. "Everything depends on this moment…_Now._ How are you feeling, Hisoka? Getting there yet?"

"It's alright. I haven't met anyone interesting, but I commend you on your choice of music. "Lies" by Jennifer Cardini?" Hisoka pointed upwards. The evil sound perfectly suited the mood of _Henka_ people, although, "Who the hell would play this at a party?"

"Yes." Kelvin stopped walking, gazed delightedly at his guest. He started to groove ever so slightly to the beat, brown eyes narrowing in pleasure when he detected Hisoka's response. He looked away, closed his eyes and bit his lips as if savoring the taste of the music. Then he looked back again, this time for a long unspoken moment admired Hisoka through lowered eyelashes in a way that could almost be called flirtatious. And Hisoka looked sexy as he held his gaze, heart beating in tune, body grooving slightly –Both couldn't be bothered to be self-conscious. This was just who they were. This was who the music was for.

"Not too dark for you, I see? People on this side of life have a greater taste for these… shades of light. She's here, by the way. She'll play for an hour after 3 am. If I'm there I'll dance with you. Come with me."

They joined a group of three gorgeous female PR executives sitting in a blue velvet booth. A blue-green shimmer enveloped the five, the result of the mellow golden light glowing from within the rough cut metamorphosed sandstone and softly scattering from the blue surfaces. It created an excellent mood for chatting. As Kelvin had predicted, Hisoka hit it off with the execs who proposed several profitable projects that they could do together. However, maybe because everyone was so self-aware, there was no chemical transformation from "good to _great_."

Kelvin was beginning to feel bad for Hisoka when his cell buzzed…

"Oh my god, you're in luck, he's here."

An androgynous young zombie approached them. He may or may not have made his own party clothes, but it was bizarre. Scraps of leather were slipping off his body, precariously bonded by safety pins, arm straps and chains. He had kneepads on his skinny jeans and a slim, metal-studded belt with one corner looped back…except it was adorning his neck, like a collar…Long black hair and eyeliner emphasized his dead eyes.

He was also the "lady" Hisoka met at the bathhouse.

If only he would get rid of all his clothes and wash his face…he would have an otherworldly beauty which Hisoka found mesmerizing.

"Ah…Milluki's brother!" Kelvin said, opening his arms for a hug, which the "zombie" stiffly accepted.

"Hisoka, this is-"

"_Nobod_y." the newcomer coldly interjected.

"Well then, call me 'Secret'," Hisoka said ironically.

The two glared at each other.

"Kelvin…?" Illumi sighed, as if asking for permission to kill. He was depressed and didn't want to be aggravated by the weirdo whom had insulted his hair-style at the bathhouse, and who was now leering at his fashion sense.

"Please take a seat. I'll be back in a moment." Kelvin said smoothly, gesturing for his gorgeous assistant to escort Illumi to another table. He nodded to Hisoka to follow him and they headed to a corner of the room.

"Sorry, I have to talk to him now, he also has a transferred ticket. But he's the one I wanted you to meet! Why did it turn out so wrong?" Kelvin made a sound as if disgusted at himself. "Impossible, I can't be wrong! I had a strong feeling about this. He's probably uncomfortable with strangers but I'll get him out of his shell in a moment…"

"Hey, this place must be getting boring for you, would you like to go over to the main room? Most people are there already, you'll know them. Monica Electronica is the floor manager over there, she'll take care of you. Yeah, this here is Rich." Hisoka shook hands with a burly bodyguard who drew open a corner of the velvet curtain to reveal a spiral staircase going underground. "He will be escorting you to the venue in a cab. But you won't be able to look out the windows. It's important that our location remains secret."

"Okay, I'll see you and your zombie friend in a bit, then." Hisoka felt in a great mood.

Kelvin suddenly remembered something. "By the way, do you know about our dress code?"

_Dress code for a rave?_ "No, what do you mean."

Kelvin laughed. "Looks like Mr. X didn't fill you in. I better tell you now before you go any further." He looked at Hisoka seriously. "You'll have to take off all your clothes."

"…" Hisoka just stared, then laughed. "I'm a magician and even_ I_ can't do that."

"No, I was joking. But you'll have to take off your top. Men or women, no exceptions. Except for the staff, of course. Yes, this is THAT kind of party. The first one was completely naked, but that was a logistical nightmare, so now we just request guests to remove their tops."

"Whoa…"

"I'm very sorry, Hisoka. I totally forgot to tell you –I thought you already knew, this is part of what draws people to this party! If you're uncomfortable in any way, you have my sincere apologies and I'll issue you a full refund right now."

" I'm not bothered by nudity."

"Didn't think so." Kelvin took out a namecard. "Call me if you need anything."

Hisoka walked down the spiral staircase, smelled concrete and stale air. He found himself in an underground tunnel large enough for two lanes. A yellow York Shin cab was parked nearby, and the chauffer greeted him. "The ride will take 3 minutes." Rich said, opening the door for him.

XXX

A/N: The underground city is real. There are usually tunnels connecting important buildings like the Supreme Court/ Parliament / Museums etc. The idea for ONLY came from "Jakarta Underground", thus Kelvin, as the owner, has an Indonesian name. ( thx Orange-Maple for the name.) I have no clue if the model is Indonesian or not, so don't mind me, I'm pretending that Kelvin is mixed like all the people in the hxh world. :P

Next chapter: Mixed Signals! Does Illumi have a hidden talent as dj? Is Kelvin giving out Mixed Signals??

Reviews are love...!


	7. Chp 7: Same Club2 Mixed Signals

**KELVIN + ILLUMI -- MIXED SIGNALS**

_**Four Hours Ago**_

_Illumi_

Kelvin and Illumi were at BAR "E". Their conversation had come to an end, but Illumi wasn't ready to party and Kelvin seemed unwilling to let him go until his mood was changed.

"You're one of my most unique guests tonight…if only you could _feel_ the difference you make." Kelvin wished aloud. He unconsciously covered his mouth and eyed the back of the room.

_What's this, flattery?_ Illumi _gyoed_ his host's aura. No, the words were spontaneous. Suddenly, Illumi saw Kelvin's aura surge and he got up, beckoning playfully.

They went over to the dj, a petite tomboy with fierce tattoos adorning both arms and short spiky hair. She took off her headphones and greeted Illumi with a cool handshake and curt nod. Kelvin bent over, cupped her ear and whispered. She listened curiously, eyes wandering over to Illumi, then laughed hysterically and vigorously snapped her fingers like the wings of a wasp.

Illumi's eyes narrowed.

Nimbly, she picked out the track Kelvin requested, then scooted out of the booth and gestured eagerly for the two to step behind the decks. Illumi put on the plush headphones that Kelvin shoved into his hands and was enveloped in sparse soundscape powered by sweet pop beats:_" woo di wo shhh, woo di wo shhh /"._

_What the heck is this…noise?! It's so confusing! Wait, wait a minute_… The lyrics formed themselves out of a voice more mechanical than human.

_No emotion, no emotion / _

_No emotion, no emotion /_

If Illumi was delighted, he didn't show it.

Kelvin bobbed his head sagely and gave him a sneaky thumbs up, as if saying, "Good, eh?" Illumi looked totally unimpressed. He only responded with a deadpan stare and raised his middle finger to the bottom of his right eye.

"How did you know how I feel?" he asked tonelessly. Then for the first time, he offered a small cute smile.

Kelvin and the dj cracked up; her snapping her hands and caterwauling, "Yes, mon!"

Kelvin picked a transition track from the laptop and muffled out the current song, allowing silence to descend across the lounge and the minimal thumping of a heartbeat take over. "Know this?" he asked, gesturing casually at the mixing board.

Illumi's fingers itched; he had a gift for tools. _But honestly, what do I know about music?_

"Excellent," Kelvin said without waiting for Illumi's reply, small evil smile obscured by the dim light. He got to work, adding pulsing beats, and the atmosphere grew pleasurably tense. The pace was increasing. "Time to shift gears…" he warned, indicating that Illumi should be the one to drop the next track, "You know when…"

Illumi held his breath, course he knew when – the music was inside him like the rhythm of a fight. He had to keep his rhythm, control his opponent, seize the opening which was in another 2 beats and -_now._ He turned the dial…."All the way, ALL THE WAY!" Kelvin suddenly pushed Illumi's hand, making the volume jump.

_NO EMOTION, NO EMOTION, NO EMOTION, NO EMOTION /_

Illumi gasped like a startled kitten pulling back his paw.

"Oh yes, this is perfect, perfect." Kelvin winked, then gazed over the crowd with strange sleepy eyes. For the first time, Illumi felt what Kelvin felt. Eight bars and four tweaks later the atmosphere hushed. Sultry female vocals floated up and out, forming a brilliant, three-dimensional sonic Valkyrie commanding everyone to:

_Come to me, touch my body /_

Kelvin bit his fist, forcing himself away from the decks. "Dammit, this sound is too minimal! I WANT IT PUMPING! But this isn't the place." He sighed and touched Illumi's elbow. "Let's head over to the dancefloor, shall we? It's almost midnight, I better make sure the room is…Activated!" He saluted the dj who stubbed out her cigarette and returned, grinning. A gorgeous associate in grey pantsuit nodded to him and he raised his hand, making the symbol for walking feet.

Kelvin draped an arm over Illumi's shoulder in a friendly way and squeezed. "Ne, Illumi, stay with me a little longer? Could you tell me what you think about my security? And let me introduce you to a few more…friends? Why didn't you like Hiso- I mean, the Sky Tower guy, eh?" He lowered his voice disappointedly. "Mah, you're such a tough customer, you've lowered my score."

"What score?"

His lips were shaped like cupid's bow. "Didn't Milluki tell you what I do?"

"No…"

"Don't be blind, Illumi." Kelvin whispered in a strangely magnetic voice. For the barest instant, he lowered his eyes and let them travel over his guest's beautiful body, lingered over his neck and lips and finally made eye contact, allowing him to see the unveiled heat of the nocturnal sun. The message was unmistakable. Then he simply looked away and continued walking as if nothing happened.

Illumi, caught in the game, felt very strange.

After 5 steps, Kelvin turned around and laughed. "Got that? That's called flirting. You gotta walk away, that's how you do it right." He was startled to see that Illumi had stopped walking and was holding a hand to his chest, as if it hurt.

A thought occurred to him. "It doesn't hurt, you know." He said gently. "I bet your training hurts a lot more than that."

_Come to me, touch my body / come to me, touch my body /_

_Baby I'm electric._

_( Hal9000; Sylvie Marks – We Electric )_

XXX

A/N: Is Kelvin giving out mixed signals?? XD;;;

I hope you liked this story, I thought it was so cute I cracked up while writing this. :D

Reviews are love, thanks!!


	8. Chp 8: Same Club3

Summary: Kelvin warns Illumi not to be careless about his relationships. Hisoka has a plan to talk Illumi into a one-night stand.

Warning: Shonen-ai. Swearing.

Disclaimer: Don't own any characters except for Kelvin

XXX

**_2 Hours Ago_**

_Illumi_

"Relax man, _chill…!_ _Just chill_…this is just a game!" Kelvin said, throwing his hands in the air in mock exasperation.

But he made no move to smooth over his mistake. Instead, he comfortably put his hands in his pockets and observed Illumi with a deep, patient look that made the room seem quiet. His cool, mysteriously gentle tone could mean business, or something else, or it was one and the same as he had claimed.

"Why do you think it hurts? Did someone hurt you?"

Father's cold, distant order rang in Illumi's ears. "The only people you can trust are your family." That may well be true, but the only family member who ever listened to him was Mikey, their dog.

"No, it doesn't hurt." Illumi said with a blank face.

"Then who told you it hurts?"

Gorgeous, elegant women sometimes approached Illumi, but he could hardly observe them _that way,_ without feeling Mother's possessive kisses on his cheek. "No one loves us; only our wealth gets respect…so marry a princess...but if I see you as much as look at a girl without my permission..."

"Nobody, I'm just paranoid." Illumi lied. Despite his real feelings, he would never speak ill of his family in public. But Kelvin's interrogation was bringing up repressed memories making his mask of neutrality a strain to maintain. Maybe he should get out before he was caught with his pants down, no pun intended.

"If you can't even handle a little bit of flirting, then you're going to die tonight," Kelvin said with a charming smile.

"You're right. I think I'll leave now. I don't want to flirt with death."

Kelvin laughed. "You're so funny. But why shouldn't we flirt with death? You're good at it, aren't you? Shall we try?" Kelvin held out his hand. The gesture was symbolic since their distance was only 2 meters apart. "You're not blind, you can see what kind of looks people are giving you tonight. I tell you people always know your level of experience just by the way you move. And right now, you're broadcasting…raw innocence. Not a great position to be in because it can attract all the wrong people, but I'm here to protect you. Nothing makes me happier than introducing beginners to compatible long-term relationships."

Illumi wondered if accepting the handshake meant crossing an unspoken line. He folded his arms and stepped away. "No thanks. Flirting is a waste of time. I prefer to go straight for the kill." He stated tonelessly, meaning he worked as an assassin.

His eyes popped open when he suddenly found Kelvin standing very close and playfully tugging on his arm strap. "So do I ..." he barely whispered before laughing.

"Dude man, are you _really_ into BDSM? You're wearing your gear all wrong! That kind of strap should be on your pants leg, between your legs. It's not an arm strap. And your accessories…! If you want to use straps, don't add chains and pins! You'd confuse your Dommie – Oh sorry…which is it, are you the Dom or the Sub?"

"Pardon?"

"I knew it, you're just a poser! Your provocative clothing got me all riled up!"

"… Milluki told me I was supposed to make my own clothing…the more outrageous the better…"

Kelvin sighed. "Milluki is 16…he doesn't get what my party is all about! …PORN and perversion, but that's all he can think of. No, no, no!" Kelvin shook his finger disapprovingly and draped his arm around Illumi's shoulder. "_Nooooo_, you don't do it like that. I wish I could show him how to do it right…but I don't mind, I'll teach his brother instead." Kelvin giggled.

He stepped away to a more respectful distance and looked steadily at Illumi. He waited quietly for few moments, then said. "We are not just at a party. We are standing on a battleground. And there is no greater battleground than the fight between two individuals to become one."

"No battleground greater than _sex_? Are you serious?" Illumi scoffed.

"Well, what else do you have in mind?"

"Simple. Even a match at Sky Tower is a lot more exciting than _that._ And I don't even enjoy point matches that much. But even on a boring day, carrying out an assignment is more satisfying to me."

"Well…have you ever chosen your own target…someone hard to get but possible to reach…and you're willing to wait years to catch him?"

"No…That's a good question. I can't believe I've never wondered about that before!"

"Okay, let's imagine you have no restrictions…is there someone who attracts you whom you would like to fight, just to measure up?"

"Yes! Of course, I would love to fight Mano…the greatest Manipulation user who ever lived! Or maybe Xena…the twisted _Henka_ hero. I hate _Henka_ types, so I think it would be satisfying to destroy him."

"Dude, Mano and Xena are from history! I mean someone around your age, maybe even in the same room…"

"Over here…I think the most powerful fighter is that Sky Tower guy. He's annoying. I wouldn't mind teaching him some discipline….Oh!" Illumi's eyes widened and he covered his lips. "Now I know why…I've been ordered never even to think of fighting outside of work…it's not professional…"

"Now we're getting somewhere. Okay, think of yourself going after him – the Sky Tower guy…to destroy him. Are you there?"

"Yeah," Illumi was not only there, his eyes were frighteningly intense in their single-minded focus. "I'm not sure about his fighting style since I've not had time to watch TV for a while, but his scent and behavior tell me he is _Henka_. These guys have great creativity but little patience, so I'll probably conserve my energy and prolong the match until an opening emerges…I can sense his strength. But I believe I can win." Illumi detached demeanor reappeared and he coolly ran a hand through his hair in pleasure.

Kelvin smiled. "How cool you look. Would you enjoy the fight?"

"I think so…I'll never give up until the target is destroyed."

"And what keeps you going?"

Illumi spoke in an oddly passionate tone, "_I want him. I need him."_

"I think I made my point." Kelvin raised an eyebrow and Illumi covered his mouth in surprise. "Emotional ties bind you and your opponent. Love and hate combined, two become one in a battle. That's exactly the same as relationships, except we don't attack minors in battle. But at home, that's where everything goes wrong…isn't it?"

Illumi frowned. "My home?"

"Where is a man more tortured until he loses his mind…than within his own family?" Kelvin held Illumi's gaze and saw the recognition there. It was true, they had instant rapport. Illumi thought it was because they were both rich kids, but the reality was darker.

"Did I ask to be born into a crazy Mafia family? Did you ask to be a Zaoldyeck assassin? Right from the start – did you feel something too? Like we've known each other for years? Because we're children born into a FAMILY HELL. A hell that we can't even talk about to those who've never been through it, because if we did, they'll think _we're_ the crazy ones….. People like us should stick together." He lightly touched Illumi's elbow with a faraway look and smiled.

Illumi was touched…but also defensive. "No matter how bad it gets, these are our roots! What am I without my family? _Nobody_."

"How nice to remain a fetus forever living in a pink amniotic chamber and never have to fight your own fights."

"Kelvin, you know I'm not clinging to my family like a thumbsucker. This is about keeping to tradition, because I'm loyal! I know for a fact the system works. I'll be stupid not to follow it." Illumi's dark eyes flashed passionately.

"The system that works? Dude, you don't understand. I LOVE systems. I love to construct systems big and small, I stick to the system and I make people toe the line. I LOVE systems! But you're stupid if you think the system is God and you're nobody compared to it. If you lose yourself, you're nothing but a slave. And I'm not talking about BDSM, real _slavery_ is alive and well in our world today."

"Okay…have it your way… I'm a slave." Illumi stopped arguing and expressionlessly moved away, presumably to leave the room, but Kelvin caught hold of his arm strap.

"Don't shut me out, Illumi. Change doesn't have to hurt. Share a bit of my world, tonight. I put my trust in you; can you put your trust in me?" The tone of his voice wasn't playful or flirtatious. It sounded serious and cold, as if he was inviting him to sign a business contract.

"Trust you…with what?"

"I'll show you how I run my life." Kelvin said, letting go and gesturing at the crowd. "My business…take a tour of my little zoo… tell you a little about my family…maybe talk about your arranged marriage…? It's good to talk. Let's just talk…I want to hear your _voice."_ Kelvin put a hand on his own cheek and sighed. "You're like the water, you fade and become invisible. Even your name, Illumi, sounds like "Illusions". But who are you really, what are you like in private?"

"Exactly the same."

"Well I'm not. I want to talk to you one-on-one, in private. But we don't have to be alone. We can have others in the room." He shrugged. "Join me for a while longer, Illumi. Just think of me as your older brother. You can call me …_Kellu_." He giggled.

Illumi mouth twitched and he shot his host a quirky look. Kelvin did appear more formal than flirtatious. Since he was another rich kid, maybe he _might_ have some advice for him regarding his arranged marriage?

"Hey Kelvin, are you a therapist or something?"

Kelvin grinned at Illumi's first sign of camaraderie. "Oh god, don't get me started on this topic! I'm such a catalyst. Whenever I'm around, my friends start breaking up and they just want to come out and party with me! My phone is always ringing off the hook with all their relationship problems! Dammit, even my own people can't do it properly. They come to me, start crying on my shoulder – EXCUSE ME, THAT'S AN ARMANI SUIT DRY CLEAN ONLY! That's why I started ONLY! I want to show them how to do it right! They wanna play the game, they should do it right!" Kelvin looked comically aggrieved.

"How come you call it a game then you turn around and call it a battlefield. So which is it?"

"It's a battlefield. You'd be ripped apart if you don't know what you're doing."

"Are you suggesting I'm this little girl innocently plucking red flowers in a friggen field while some big bad wolf prowls about waiting to rip me apart?"

"You can't afford to be blind, Illumi! For once, try treating your relationships as seriously as you treat your skills, huh? Fucked-up relationships can destroy lives, even if you don't admit to the tears that poisoned your childhood. Don't fool yourself that you're strong enough to survive anything. You're not. And no offense, I'll say it again. You'll survive any physical events, but it's the memories that have the power to hurt for a long time afterwards. That's the atrocity. But even if we seek out bad experiences, it leaves us with better judgment," his voice softened "of who we are meant to be with. Our one and ONLY."

"I'm not suggesting you change in one night, that's too harsh. In fact, I couldn't even adapt the first time I left my family…The best way is to change slowly and gradually…_lentamente, lentamente, facilmente_…" He began beckoning gently with a charming smile that had a calming effect on Illumi. "Shall I introduce you to my 'family'?"

Illumi nodded and Kelvin waved for some of the staff to come over. "This is Stray. Rino. Gino. Nana. You've seen surveillance central – that's more for show. The real controllers are our girls tonight, our hosts and entertainers. Monica Electronica is in charge of them. Headman is in charge of security. He's a vet from WW3. I don't know much about security procedures, so go ahead and ask him if you have any questions. We have 532 guests, and 250 crew…." Kelvin began to share his world.

For the first time since arriving at ONLY, Illumi relaxed. Here, he knew the ropes and was in total control. Why would he want to leave this secure position for the unknown, dangerous destination? To fight the greatest battle of all, huh? Suddenly Illumi admitted he was curious. He didn't want the Padokian princess, he wanted the unknown. But how about the money his marriage would secure? Wealth was essential to the survival of Kukuru Mountain, not just for himself but for his family. How could he justify sacrificing xxx,xxx,xxx,xxx zennies for – _for what?_

XXX

Illumi and Kelvin sat in the backseat of a York Shin cab being driven through the underground tunnel to the secret location. All the windows were blocked and a divider clad in car leather shielded them from the driver's view. Illumi used _gyo_ to track their position.

They were approaching a structure with a very powerful aura. Emission-type _nen _enveloped Illumi with emotions offear, excitement, hate, love and madness. Illumi short-circuited them with his manipulation_ nen_ before he could be devoured, but they still seeped into his bones, making him ache, as if it wasn't blood pumping in his body anymore, it was poison. He was like a container filling up with more poison by the second and his_ nen_ was being drained away trying to keep a lid on it. If he couldn't handle this energy somehow, he might have to leave in 1 or 2 hours…

Illumi wondered how come Kelvin wasn't affected. His host had excused himself to dial through his new messages then spoke quietly to Monica Electronica and Headman for an update. He put away his cell with a wry grin. "Nothing ever goes wrong, despite my constant anxiety. Yes, that's the beauty of high-end customers. They are so easy to deal with!" He laughed.

"You know I've admired the Zaoldyecks for so long? You guys know how to create structures that last…it's been what, a family business for 5 generations now? Amazing! I sure hope I'm not messing up the mind of the heir…"

"Who told you I was the heir?"

"You're not? Then isn't that even better?"

Illumi shrugged. "Sometimes I feel I'm a failure for not being good enough to be chosen."

"Why? Did you fail a test or something?"

"No – I'm just not gifted enough."

"Then how about people like us?!" Kelvin looked amazed. "I think you're _very _gifted. But it seems like no amount of gifts or achievements will make you think you're good enough, as long as you haven't found your own…voice. But that's a long journey…and we're already here. Welcome to the Dancefloor!!"

XXX

Hisoka put his hands in his pockets and stared at the dancefloor. It was Sensual, Exquisite and Xtraordinary. The crowd was composed of the coolest, richest and most beautiful people he had ever seen in one spot. But that didn't mean they were "S.E.X." enough to fire his imagination. He felt like a shopper going to a mall for a pair of jeans and found the perfect fit on the first try. He would have bought it right away but for some reason he still had to drag himself through 3 or 4 other shops when his interest had already been killed.

Tonight, only the long-haired fighter would do, but he wasn't here yet. To kill time, Hisoka casually stalked through the crowd, amused by how the clubbers instinctually stepped away from him yet couldn't help admiring his sexxy fighter's figure with eyes of hope, fear and desire. The savvy, corrupted York Shin crowd recognized his confident, magnetic aura for what it was; the result of consistently going after one-night stands every night for 5 years straight. In fact, Hisoka even wondered if it was time to go the opposite way, one-night stands were getting so routine…_As if._ He giggled. Long-term relationships were good for business, but as for sex…BOR-RING!!

As flirtatious schemes bustled within his brain, Hisoka smirked suggestively at the admirers he caught staring at him. He liked nothing better than to get their engines started, to plant desires that they would never dare to fulfill for fear of bringing chaos into their well-laid out lives. On the other hand, Hisoka never fantasized about anything he didn't believe he had the power to make a reality. He licked his lips in anticipation of talking the young assassin into sharing a bed tonight. How would he approach it? Attack his most obvious flaw – Pride – and trap him into a battle that he couldn't refuse. No prizes for guessing what's at stake!

XXX

Illumi and Kelvin leaned over the balustrade on the fourth floor of the York Shin Supreme Court and stared amazed at the seething tide of humanity dancing in the shadowy, blood red atrium.

The majestic space was formed from the beautiful rhythm of 12 giant columns holding up a lofty dome 8 stories high. A metal mesh was stretched across the dome like a second skin, tapering off at about 10 meters beyond the arches linking the marble columns. This was the lightscreen, which projected terrifying lightning strikes, meteor showers or simply clouds rain and foliage, depending on the music. Sometimes it would fade into invisibility and reveal sparkling waves of whiter than white diodes embedded into the dome like stars in the night sky. There was a recurring motif. A proud, bright eagle of light often soared across the divide, morphing into a lovely luminous dove, or changing into the blazing green aurora of the infinity symbol "8", the exalted logo of their party.

The lower half of the atrium was plunged into shadowy tones of red, red, red. The dancefloor had red carpets, scarlet walls, rouge booths and crimson cushions. Relief from the overpowering heat was offered by joyous magenta light washing up the 12 huge columns, setting a celebratory, ecstatic mood. Behind each column hung long velvety curtains, concealing the quilted entryway to the private rooms.

Kelvin had already shown Illumi all the functional systems of the event. The security, the F&B, the entertainment and after-party arrangements. Next stop was a private room. They couldn't talk above the adrenaline-pumping house music, but Kelvin was so excited he tried anyway. He cupped his hands over Illumi's ear and shouted:

"…RATIONAL… IRRATIONAL…!!" He actually said: Look at that! I've done the most rational things to create the most irrational results!!

Illumi cupped his hands over Kelvin's ear and shouted back, "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Kelvin looked puzzled, he couldn't understand a word but his eardrums hurt so he gave up. "Oh –oh-oh!" He tugged excitedly at Illumi's convenient arm strap and jabbed towards a change sweeping across the mass movement of the crowd. There was their Sky Tower friend, causing visible ripples where he crossed the dancefloor. Kelvin covered his mouth in amusement. Illumi just looked on disdainfully.

XXX

Hisoka waited patiently beside a huge marble column at an obscure corner of the dancefloor, keeping his eyes pinned on the ornamental staircase from which new arrivals were descending. He had settled into Stalk-Mode and was willing to chase his target however long it took.

Well, well, well…he had only to wait 5 minutes and there was the raven haired doll, coming downstairs without a shirt on, followed by Kelvin who almost looked like he had no top on, except he was wearing two delicately knit tank tops, one white and one peach, a black and gold scarf, faded blue denims and white sneakers. They were followed by two petite entertainers with long black princess cuts in cute Gothic Lolita corsets. The four looked as innocent and uncaring as cherubs, but Hisoka wondered how far their association went. Well, whether the young fighter was taken or not didn't matter to his scheme – if it worked out like it was supposed to, then he'd have a harder time keeping his prey _away_ from him than worrying about letting him escape…

Hisoka observed the naturally sensual body of his target descending the staircase, translucent pale skin melded with colored shadows like tattoos. His body was muscled, but not distinctly ripped like Hisoka. Rather, he looked lean and flexible, a real fighter who never trained at the gym, but on the job. His face was expressionless, maybe even hostile as he stared at the crowd. His arms were folded across his chest and his right hand unconsciously brushed across his left arm as if for comfort. Suddenly, the lightscreen adjacent to him came alive in a shimmer of silver rain and the raven looked sideways, startled and amazed at the beautiful light.

Hisoka would remember that fragile moment forever, like a freeze-frame of eternity: Illumi's graceful body was outlined by ethereal fire, his large brown eyes shone like moonlit pools and his lips parted in delight. The dj must have hit the mute because the beats suddenly suspended and so did Hisoka's heart. He felt it pop out of his mouth before the music continued pulsating as if nothing happened. _What the hell was that about?! _Hisoka had a weird thought, weird even for him…the stakes for tonight just got raised to their highest possible level…

_Polaroïd, roman photo_

_Aimant les flashes sentimentaux_

_Humanoïde, incognito_

_Amour impossible et mélo_

_(Ruth – Polaroid/Roman/Photo)_

Hisoka burst into a fit of hysterical laughter.

_I HAVE A CRUSH ON HIM!!_

He laughed until tears leaked out of his eyes and he hugged the column for support. The other clubbers shot him odd looks but wisely kept their distance. Suddenly, the house music he had grown used to over the years sounded very different…it trembled as if alive with his own hope, fear and desire.

XXX

A/N: Yes, Hisoka fell in love at first sight thanks to the snapshot of eternity. XD; Now he is willing to take even greater risks to convince Illumi to have a one-night stand with him…what is his plan and why is it so risky – even for him?! Revealed in next chapter I promise even you will be shocked. XD

I'll try to update ASAP! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think, :D Reviews are love…!


	9. Chp 9:Same Club4

Summary: Kelvin gives Illumi more advice on relationships which don't make any sense to him, until later. Hisoka and Illumi get into a fight.

Warning: Depicts underground party; mentions pole dancers and drugs ; swearing

Disclaimer: Don't own Hisoka and Illumi.

**1 Hour Ago**

_Illumi  
_

Kelvin held open the quilted door to the private room. As soon as the door closed, a hush fell and they were enveloped by an utterly relaxing deep blue twilight. Tiny green bioluminescent LEDs on the walls blinked on and off to resemble the movement of algae floating in the ocean. Two large booths of indigo denim framed both ends of the room, leaving the center empty. In the middle of each booth was a bronze pole running from ceiling to the rosewood table lit by a ring of fluorescent-white spotlight.

The two girls went to sit at one booth while Kelvin led Illumi to the other. He sat down right in the middle, grabbed a cushion and kicked his feet up on the table. Illumi chose the adjacent couch and leaned back with his legs crossed and hands calmly folded in his lap. The sapphire air made the pair feel as chilled-out as two kids staring at the sea. Neither felt like talking.

Lida and Zenia were Cirque De Soleil moonlighters assigned to keep Illumi company for however long he stayed. They sat chatting, then Lida climbed up the pole into the lighted hole in the ceiling and descended, showing off graceful gymnastics moves. The heads of both young men turned appreciatively and Kelvin laughed, clapping and wolf-whistling. Lida did a little curtsey then sat down and continued chatting with her colleague. Just then a server dressed in a shimmering silver hooded bikini suit and black stilettos entered the room, bearing green bottles of Perrier and glasses filled with ice. Kelvin poured a drink for his guest who gestured his thanks.

"You seem to be a lot less talkative in private." Illumi commented.

Kelvin grinned, he was standing up and had his hands in his pockets. "I hope I haven't bored you by talking so much about myself. The mic is all yours now."

"I suck at small talk."

Kelvin looked pleased. "But we can't avoid it, since we're not hermits."

"No. But I wish I was."

"What's so hard about dealing with people? All we have to do is ask them questions and listen to them. It's fun too."

"It's too late for me, Kelvin", Illumi pretended to look dejected. "I tried acting friendly one day and my brothers freaked out. Told me to go back to being the machine, it was less scary."

Kelvin chuckled. He handed Illumi a photograph from his wallet and sat down beside him. To his surprise, it was the picture of a woman helping a toddler stand on the hood of a jeep. They were parked on top of a cliff with the windswept ocean dominating the background. The woman was very dark-skinned, with big shining black eyes and frizzy jet-black hair which contrasted with the fair-skinned baby with light brown hair and eyes.

"Who's this?"

"My ex-wife. Married for two years. Our baby must be 5 by now…that's my daughter, Raia. Isn't she adorable?"

"You were married?" Illumi found it hard to believe a playboy like Kelvin would have married young.

"Yeah…I was 21 and I couldn't stand being alone…" Kelvin's voice drifted off. "She was 32 and looking for a baby father. So I guess it worked out. Amicable divorce."

Illumi simply raised an eyebrow and stared quizzically at Kelvin. "You married just to have someone to look after you?"

Kelvin frowned. "No, I never let a woman pay for me. But you're right, I totally depended on her. She was just…brilliant… I adored her… I tried to create another mother for myself, my perfect _Madonna_...no wonder she couldn't stand me at the end, how could she? Even you, one day if you catch someone looking at you like that…" Kelvin shook his head. "You won't be able to take it. Your love will turn to hate."

Illumi tried to imagine what Kelvin meant, but couldn't.

"My real mom hated me. She was a supermodel and I was an… accident. She would have aborted me but her religion didn't let her. Every day they fought. Why did they do that? Were they trying to "work it out", or "work on the relationship"?! _Wrong, wrong, wrong!" _Kelvin's eyes looked a little too intense. "But it can be amusing, ever so often she would throw a tantrum and chase me around the house with a cane…do you even know what a cane is?!" Kelvin burst out laughing and made a slashing motion with his finger. "Piack!" His laughter was infectious. Illumi joined in. He imitated Silva. "Illumi, your hair is black like your mom. _Whack!_"

"Huh? _Black hair?"_

"Who needs a reason?"

"You're right." Both young men snickered.

"Hey, let's not get too close to home. I shut the doors to the past. And as you shall see, there are treasures from the Dark Side as well. I'll tell you more about my ex. She actually has nice ivory skin. But she insisted on going out into the sun until she was completely brown, and then tan some more. I'm like, what are you doing to your beautiful skin? And you know what she said…Kelvin, you don't understand. Where I come from, people look down on girls with dark skin…so that's why I'm going to show the world, black can be hot…very, very hot. I fell in love."

Illumi simply stared.

"Yeah she's cool. Maybe too cool. She fights too much. WHY?! Why am I always getting involved with fighters? I'll tell you what, I have a new target now. A guy called Quollo. I thought he was this peace-loving _nen_-lover. But he's not…he's a crazy fighter. Oh my god, his body was covered in scars and he has a weird _nen_-tattoo on his forehead. But I'm in love with him. Why?! Should I just break it off before I get too deeply involved?! What should I do, Illumi?"

"Ever tried toning down your flirtatious ways?"

"I may be flirtatious, but I'm not promiscuous."

Noticing Illumi's skeptical face, Kelvin continued. "Don't think badly of me, Illumi. I'm actually a conservative family man."

Illumi blinked and continued staring.

"Okay, take this party. You know where we are. The Supreme Court. Are we doing something forbidden? Yes. But is it bad? Does it preserve society or does it destroy society? To answer the question: is this illegal? No, because this venue has been legally hired out for the night. We are hosting the anniversary party of the Commercial Law Association. The name isn't even misleading, because half of York Shin's wealth comes from the underground economy. Does the underworld stabilize society? Yes, if we do it right. Every city needs its invisible arm to do its dirty deeds. Next, are we insulting Justice because we are hosting a rave? Now that's a good question. It depends on how good the party is. Did it make everyone feel special and related? Did the music touch their souls in some way and make them feel…themselves? Feel like they can reach out and grow a bit more beautiful, cooler, sexxier. Did they fall in love with someone at the party?" Kelvin put his hand over his heart and giggled. "If they didn't then I stand judged."

Illumi sighed. "Why do you rationalize so much? Today you can get away with it. You have half of York Shin's economy. Maybe tomorrow, you'll have a third and then what are you going to do?"

"Die a premature death?"

"Seriously…"

"I am serious. There is something I would give my life for, that I've always loved since I was a kid. It shines, skips sparkles and flows like water. It's a delight. It has no form, it is transparent and it glints and sparks. It makes me dance. What is it? Even I don't know, but I love it, all good things in my life have come from loving it forever. Like tonight. What do you see? Sex, Drugs, Money? Look closely, between the heartbeats…you'll see a flow, like water, of feelings. Whatever profits I get is from this flow, but I didn't do it just for the profits. It's all about our need to share feelings, become one body, one mind…2 become 1, and there is ONLY you."

Illumi's mouth twitched. "Were you always…like this?"

"No, I'd forgotten who I was. But my ex-wife brought it out again. I was a boring bartender; she was an exciting film director. And I never did anything creative before I met her. I was so proud such a brilliant person loved me, I clung so tightly. I was a zombie for a year after we separated…and that's when I started taking music seriously; I needed to express my own voice. It was wrong of me to live vicariously through her talent. Only I can do that for myself…to speak with my own voice. And that's that. No matter how long our marriage lasted: We grew. That's enough."

"That's it? And you're happy?"

"I'm sorry I have no answers for you, Illumi. I wish I did …but I really don't know. An arranged marriage? You'd probably expect me to say I hate it. But I don't. I think it can work out very well for some people. You wouldn't love her at the start, but after a while, you'd start liking each other, even start looking alike." He laughed.

Illumi face was expressionless as if he didn't care. Kelvin's tone grew serious.

"I don't care about your marriage of convenience either, Illumi. I care about YOU. Your voice. One day I want to hear your voice speak your truth. And relationships can bring that about. That's what they're here for, not just for profits. What I would like to do …although maybe not tonight…it might be too soon… I'd like to introduce you to more associates, some similar, some opposite. I'll have more time in Vivithia…will you join us?"

"I have to work tomorrow, so no…"

"Well…here's my card." Kelvin passed Illumi a private card that had his addresses on it. "So you'll know where to find me. I'm usually here, in York Shin…I have a house in Vivithia too, you can use it if you're in the area. Can you do me a favor and call me before you leave York Shin? I'm a worrier, I like to track my guests and make sure they're ok."

"You forget I'm an assassin."

"Not on this battlefield. Shall we "train" again sometime?"

"I don't know. Actually, I stayed on ONLY because of you. My airship's leaving at dawn."

"So soon…? Why not hang out here for a bit more? Lida and Zenia will keep you company. I just have to make the rounds with the dancers to work the dancefloor…"

Kelvin suddenly remembered he wanted Illumi to meet Hisoka…but he hadn't known his guest would be so inexperienced. Kelvin even wondered if he was a virgin. He probably wasn't, but he certainly moved like one. If Hisoka even scented Illumi's vulnerability, he might be tempted to….Kelvin felt a little anxious. No, it was better to keep them separated until Illumi matured.

XXX

Hisoka concealed himself behind a column and stared impatiently at private room number 9. He considered inviting himself inside, but he didn't want Kelvin to know about his scheme. He figured Kelvin had to come out sooner or later, didn't he have a party to take care of?

"Hey Hisoka…are you high yet?" Asked a server in a raspberry sweet voice, holding up a frosted jug. She had deep rosy tresses and was dressed in a white halter mini-suit modified to look like a nurse's outfit.

"No…will you take care of me?" Hisoka smirked.

"What would you like, baby? E, kat, schrooms or coke?"

"How about steroids?" Hisoka joked and reached behind the nurse's ear to pull out a fluttering dove. The girl screamed, spilling the iced water all over him, Hisoka gasped but welcomed it as it managed to cool his overheated pants somewhat. The dove flew up into the white dome and disappeared.

"Oooohhh!" The nurse squealed delightedly, "That was wonderful! But what have I done! I'm so clumsy. Do you need a change of clothes?"

"That's cool, sweetheart. Hopefully I can get out of these rags very soon."

XXX

After a few words of farewell, Kelvin shook Illumi's hand and left. But he still felt a little worried for his guest.

He dialed Rich, the security guard who had been spying on Hisoka. "Hey Rich…I've got a feeling that "Red Flag" might approach "Red Riding Hood." Call me if they do and follow them wherever they go, even outside. But be careful. They are A-class fighters."

"Oh hey! Mike, Tony, Gina, Rina! Hey Bella, Taq, Chin, Stella…! How's it going…" Kelvin met up with his dancers and they went into the crowd. Shortly afterwards, Kelvin's phone buzzed but he didn't notice it until 15 minutes later.

XXX

Illumi told Lida and Zenia he was okay chilling by himself for the moment. He planned to leave in 10 minutes anyway, he just didn't take off right away because something was tugging at the edge of his memory, if only he could remember what it was …

When Kelvin mentioned that he chased after something that sparkled, jumped and skipped, Illumi realized that he too, had wanted something when he was a kid. Not something bright and fun like Kelvin's dream. But something deep and eternal.

If only he could remember what it was…

Illumi absently-mindedly observed the odd way the surface of his drink pulsated even though the room was relatively silent. His reflection was broken into luscious rings as if made by a stone thrown into a pool. Suddenly, another reflection appeared there…

"Care to join me for a game?" Suggested a disturbingly-pitched voice. It was the annoying narrow eyed _nen_-user again. How did he sneak in so quietly? Lida gave a startled cry. She immediately stood up. "I'm sorry Sir, this room is booked. You'll have to check with Monica for another room."

"Why don't you ask him if I can stay?" Hisoka asked casually, tilting his head in Illumi's direction. He wasn't very concerned; he could catch Illumi on his way out anyway.

Illumi stared straight into the _Henka_'s arrogant eyes, feeling uncharacteristically annoyed. How come he kept bumping into him tonight? What could he be after, a fight? That's why he never liked people to know he was a Zaoldyeck, he must have found out, somehow.

"Why not? I'm free." Illumi nodded to Lida to let Hisoka approach. The _Henka_-user was too powerful to be denied. If worst came to worst and he couldn't avoid fighting him, then Illumi would oblige rather than cause a commotion at Kelvin's party. He liked his host that much, at least. "What kind of game do you have in mind?"

Hisoka approached the booth and took the liberty of sitting right next to him. Lida followed while Zenia quietly left the room but Hisoka didn't seem to notice. His eyes got busy sidling up the side of the young assassin, who was coldly ignoring him. "Physical combat. You're a fighter, I'm a fighter, we love to fight, so what's more natural than that?"

"Sorry. I'm an assassin and that's just extra work for me. I don't work for free."

"Is that so? Then can I hire you to fight me?"

"Forget it. I don't accept jobs…go apply at head office."

"How about a little bet?" Hisoka took out a deck of cards. "Surely you don't need to ask head office for that?"

Illumi shot him an unfriendly look. "No."

"No? I feel dissed!" Hisoka stood up and scattered the cards in the air. "Oops."

Illumi stood up. He had noticed a _nen_-charged card sticking to the ceiling.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Lida charmingly accused. "Now, now, don't be such a brat…What do you know, I have another pack!" She produced another pack of cards from her corset and held it coyly to her chest. "Play nicely, little boy."

Lida was obviously trying to buy time for security to arrive, which could be anytime now. Hisoka sat down as if embarrassed. "How rude of me! I forgot to include you. I was just afraid our game might get a little rough…" Illumi could sense the card on the ceiling charging up threateningly. He could neutralize it, but he didn't want to show his hand.

"How rough can a game possibly get, hmm? Let's see…we can play 3 –way Bridge…"

"That's cool, Lida. You can go first. I'll talk to him." Illumi said quietly, pushing past Hisoka to get out of the booth.

"Are you sure?" Lida looked concerned.

"Yeah…come on." Illumi escorted Lida to the door, his voice was soft but his expression inhuman. She had been briefed that they were both "A-class" fighters…even security would find it hard to break up their fight, so the only way would have been diplomacy. "Kelvin will be here soon," she whispered as the door shut.

Illumi wasn't surprised to see Hisoka's hand press against the door and seal it with _nen._ He smirked. "A bet is no fun without stakes. Since money is of no concern to us, what shall we bet on?"

"Nothing. I'm fighting for honor." Illumi said calmly.

"Honor…?" Hisoka leered. "And what does that mean?"

"The body and soul of a fighter."

"I don't want your soul…that's for Kuroro."

"Pardon?"

"Let's bet on our bodies."

Illumi scoffed. "I'm not going to fight to the death, even though your life is worthless to me. I still have to go to work tomorrow."

The atmosphere changed. "I'm not thinking about a death-duel. How about a sex-duel. That would be fitting."

"What the hell is_ that_." Illumi coldly placed his arms on his hips and faced off Hisoka.

Hisoka just looked at Illumi's body up and down. "We fight to fuck."

"Fuck you."

"Pleasure is mine."

"I'm starting to lose my patience and you don't want to see that."

"Oh but I do…"

"Okaaayy…seems like there is no other way to get rid of you and to be honest, I had enough of the sleazy looks you've been giving me. Let's get this straight. The winner gets to fuck the loser. Is that it? But I don't even want to sleep with you. You're annoying, not to mention probably full of germs..."

"I'm not…" Hisoka exerted his _nen_, forcing Illumi to do the same.

"The aura never lies. Turns out I'm even cleaner than you are," Hisoka licked his lips. "That's okay, we can use condoms."

"You really _are_ serious, aren't you? What an animal." Illumi took a deep breath. _Don't lie to yourself, what's your purpose in coming here after all? Looks like you met someone with the same ideas. Not so surprising is it? But still, this man is a stranger. _"Why me? There are half a thousand guests for your entertainment tonight, not to mention the trillion zenni York Shin industry created just for perverts like you."

"Hey, how come you have this holier than thou attitude? You're ONLY at the most notorious underground party created just for perverts like you."

"I'm just here to let off some steam, not for match-making."

"Neither am I here for long-term relationships. I just want a one-night stand."

"I don't believe it. You're the most vulgar man I have ever met, but I commend you for being so brutally honest and offensive."

"Let me spell it out for you. It's obvious you're a fighter, you're not into any one at this party, and you need to let off steam. Why not take my offer? There's no catch."

"Well the catch is I have to sleep with you whether I win or lose."

"So…?" Hisoka turned on his sex appeal to the maximum and he crowded into Illumi's personal space. Illumi instinctually lowered his eyes. Hisoka found that very cute. The assassin was innately modest, just the way he liked them. "Seme or uke…what do you want to bet on?" Hisoka whispered huskily.

Illumi looked up and fixed his clear brown eyes on Hisoka's green eyes. It was true, he felt an attractive heat coming from Hisoka's side. But his idea was laughable. "Seme and uke indeed. I know your type. You're egotistical. I don't believe you'd be willing to be a uke."

"You can have my first time…" Hisoka pouted.

Illumi raised his bow-shaped eyebrows, somehow charmed. He had serious doubts the Sky Tower guy would be able to carry out his conditions should Illumi win the bet. Him as uke? He would probably cry. And that actually made him…cute. He really _did_ put up something worthy of risk, even though he was too proud to show that he cared. And himself, what would he risk?

Illumi felt blood rush to his face. He was basically a virgin. His first and last time was with a prostitute as part of his training when he was 18. That was 3 years ago and he never felt the urge to repeat the traumatizing experience that left him cold. He never even had a friendship before much less a relationship. Despite his detached exterior, he was very shy inside and didn't like strangers. Had Hisoka approached Illumi at any other time than this particular day, time, and place, even if only 1 hour ago, Illumi would never have even considered his proposal for a minute.

Luck meant everything in the game of love.

_What's wrong with me tonight? I finally realize I came here to say one big "Fuck You" to Kukuru Mountain and the whole Zaoldyeck tradition. I knew it right away that I didn't want the arranged marriage. I just thought I couldn't do better. But can I? I've met my match today – Might as well use him to get rid of all my illusions about what else is out there. A one night stand isn't something honorable but neither is it anyone's business but mine. Call it a test-drive._

"Try me."

"Okay. Let's try it."

XXX

A/N: Chp 9 & 10 were meant to be one chapter, so enjoy the next one! Let me know what you think, reviews are love. :D


	10. Chp 10:Same Bed1

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**Warning: Rated M  
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**Don't read this chapter if you are below 16 because it contains YAOI :X**

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_**30 MINUTES AGO**_

Kelvin turned pale when he saw the message on his cell from Monica. His worst fear had come true.

_Hurry up! They made a bet and went out to fight._

Message from Rich:

_They're on the roof._

Kelvin quickly took the elevator to the top of the Courthouse and dashed out of the stairwell. Two "A-class" fighters dueling carried a high risk of death; he couldn't do much but he had to do _something._ His eyes scanned the rooftop and picked out Hisoka's pale hair glowing a few meters away. He was lying on the ground laughing and standing over him was the slender figure of the young assassin silhouetted against the blazing skyline. They appeared fully dressed and didn't look injured at all.

"Boys, boys, what's going on? There are rules, even at an underground party." Kelvin began.

Both of them didn't look surprised to see him. Illumi looked deadly serious while Hisoka giggled and said, "Hey Kelvin, perfect timing!"

Illumi's momentary distraction created an opening for a sharp card to detach itself from the roof and zip across his chest, making his top fall off one shoulder and one breast exposed. Hisoka's lips curled while Kelvin covered his mouth. Angrily, Illumi knelt down and grabbed Hisoka's collar with one hand. His eyes grew bigger and bigger and a hypnotizing light began to pull Hisoka in. He could feel manipulation _nen_ controlling him and he couldn't resist it…

"No!" Kelvin suddenly shielded Hisoka's body with his own. "Play fair. You don't have to do this."

Illumi eyes flashed like a man wrongly accused. "You don't know what we bet on! I can't… just let him do whatever he wants…"

"And what precious thing did you bet on?"

Illumi avoided Kelvin's eyes. "Nothing special," he mumbled.

"Huh? Do you mind… being a little more specific?"

"Well…him and I," Hisoka grinned. "We were about to head over to… gosh, how careless of me, I forgot that little detail-Hey!" He looked at Illumi "Your place or my place?"

"Mine. M Hotel." Illumi coldly stated, standing up and walking away.

"_Waaiiit_ a minute –" Kelvin warned as an unpleasant realization dawned. He grabbed hold of Illumi's arm strap which tore off his whole outfit from his shoulders with a loud rip. Kelvin immediately blushed and let go. Illumi observed the tattered black material flutter indecently in the wind. Then with a deadpan face, he ripped the whole damn thing in half and flung it off the roof.

"Right – head over to M Hotel for…a fair exchange of…body fluids." Hisoka continued with a small smirk in place. He got up and patted the dust from his pants.

"_What the hell?!_ You mean the winner will top the loser? Just like that? But you just met! How can you do this?!"

"Why not? We're consenting adults." Hisoka smirked.

"I think you're taking advantage of his inexperience!"

Illumi suddenly hugged Kelvin, whispered with odd intensity, "_Don't worry!_ My body is just a tool, sex means nothing to me." He stalked off a few meters then turned and addressed Hisoka in a cold, matter of fact way. "I'm stopping by the 7-eleven. If you don't see me just wait in the lobby." Then he disappeared.

"How considerate of you. But I already bought…" Hisoka sounded amused.

Kelvin looked too stunned to say anything. He could understand what Illumi was doing but he seriously questioned his choice of partner. Hisoka was the type who would "love em and leave em"! What if Illumi got ditched right after sharing his most vulnerable moment? He wouldn't even have any friends or family to turn to for support! He would probably become even more of a hermit just at the moment…the moment he wanted to break out of his shell! _You're not strong enough, Illumi! Don't even fool yourself! If you can't protect yourself, forgive me for interfering. I won't let you go back into your shell! If Hisoka can't do you right, I'm not even going to let him start. Sorry but you would be better off with your arranged marriage, at least you would have trust and respect._

As if reading his thoughts, Hisoka casually draped his arm around his shoulder.

"What's the matter, Kelvin? Is the young man already taken?"

"You don't understand…he's in a vulnerable-," He suddenly stopped talking. Of course Hisoka knew he was vulnerable, he probably chose him for that reason…to dominate. And does the assassin have a secret wish to be dominated? _Oh god, he's just a child… _"Dude, you two shouldn't gamble on sex like that. You know he's innocent, he needs a relationship, not just sex!"

"My ass is also a virgin…"

"What the _fuuu- Whoa, whoa_…back up for a second. Did you just say your…um _your derriere_..?" Kelvin raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"You heard me. I said I'm offering him my_ goddam virginity!_ Can I get even fairer than that? He wants control, he can have control."

"Oh my god! I can't handle this…" Kelvin took a deep breath and covered his mouth but his laughter leaked out anyway. "Oh my gawd…I underestimated you Hisoka…"

Then his expression grew somber. "I still have no idea how you talked him into this…I left him alone for 20 minutes max and you scored. He even disliked you right from the start, like you reminded him of someone unpleasant. Doesn't that ring some alarm bells for you?"

"Like he wants use my body as a form of misguided revenge? Go ahead and use me!!" Hisoka laughed and opened his arms wide to the sky.

"You're sickening," Kelvin chuckled. "But this kid's got issues. He looks like fluffy blue cotton candy – but try eating it, and it makes a mess all over your hands. If you think the tail-end sucks, this one's gonna have a very, very long tail. Don't even touch him if you plan to just ditch him when the morning comes."

"What if he's the one to ditch me? Listen to him_: sex means nothing to me_."

"Sex means nothing to him yet he wants to share his body with you. What do you think he's after? Is it wrong to want a little bit of happiness?" Kelvin looked very sad. He crossed his arms and gave a big sigh. "No, it's not wrong but don't you know? You can't give sex to get love."

"Give sex to get…love?"

"I think so. I don't think he knows what he's doing. He's probably a virgin for god's sake!"

"He's not. If he was, he would show more curiosity. But he's so cold and arrogant…I bet he's never submitted before…I'll be the first man he submits to…" Hisoka eyes narrowed as he visualized the scene.

"Submission goes both ways. So what's your intention, Hisoka? Is it just "pump and dump" or…what?"

Hisoka shot Kelvin an insulted look. His hands trembled a little and he placed them on his hips. Maybe it was because the whole marble building was trembling beneath his feet, like heartbeats, although no sign of the rocking rave bled out into the silent morning. But the vibrations were real and it had changed his world. He remembered the frozen moment when he saw the pale shimmering face through the magenta-red darkness. What was he thinking? He had no thoughts. He only wanted to reach out and stroke the pure features that seemed like the most beautiful thing in the world.

"What's the most beautiful thing you have ever seen, Kelvin?" Hisoka softly asked, producing cards out of nowhere and peeling off the top card.

Kelvin's lips parted. He sensed the change in Hisoka: He had already submitted. Illumi would get a fair chance tonight, which was more than what the young assassin had a right to expect from a sleazy one-night stand.

"The most beautiful thing I have seen is the innocent face of a baby."

"Same here."

"Everyone has fatherly instincts."

"Had I known you were such a nanny, I would never have been your friend." Hisoka grinned.

XXX

The "M" Hotel was an old and extravagantly opulent hotel located 41 Streets uptown. When Hisoka arrived half an hour later, he had already collected his things from the locker, showered and was dressed in a funky black suit with red stripes and white shirt.

The mountainous vases of exotic flowers obstructed his view and he strolled about the gold-themed lobby for a few moments before he noticed a long-haired young man hidden behind a huge pot of purple orchids. He looked like he was sulking with head lowered and arms and legs crossed. He wore a new YN Yankees cap and an over-sized "I heart York Shin" T-shirt that still bore the iron-marks of fresh packaging. Hisoka grinned, guessing that the raven was too reserved to show up at the expensive hotel without a shirt on and that was the real reason why he dropped by the 7-eleven.

"You took so long, I thought you changed your mind." Illumi said, looking up from under his red cap, large dark eyes a little anxious, even doe-like. His hair was damp and his face, which was scrubbed clean, looked very pale from the waiting. A rosy blush was spreading across his cheeks, "You're the uke, after all."

Hisoka's mind went blank and he couldn't think of anything witty to say, he couldn't even remember his partner's name, or if they had even exchanged names. He quickly sat down at the nearest armchair, feeling the audacity he had displayed at the party desert him.

It was the fault of the muted golden lamps, hand-carved Old World furniture and brocade cushions. It made him feel like an impoverished ghetto kid again. What could he possibly offer his refined partner born into a life of fabulous privilege? How could a vagrant hope to entertain a prince? God knows how their paths had even crossed, what will they do when the morning comes?

_Whoa, what's with these insecure thoughts? You're holding fluffy blue cotton candy in your hands, now shut up and eat it._

Hisoka recovered himself and noticed his partner looking expectantly at him. "Oh sorry, did you say something?"

"I said, um…" Illumi lowered his eyes, face very pink. He suddenly stood up and frowned down at Hisoka, said in a brusque voice, "You don't have to do it if you don't want to. I have better things to do than flip you over and rape you."

"Pleasure's all mine," Hisoka automatically responded, standing up and smirking. They were standing at right angles to each other so Hisoka simply slid his left hand into Illumi's right. Illumi froze and Hisoka took the opportunity to interlock their fingers. He stared piercingly into his partner's eyes and felt Illumi's fingers drain of warmth. After a few seconds, when he stubbornly tried to pull his hand away Hisoka moved forward, encircled his waist and pulled them so closely together their thighs pressed against each other. "Rape me, please." Hisoka whispered mockingly into Illumi's ear. He suddenly felt two hands shove his chest and he was tossed back onto the armchair. Delighted, Hisoka licked his lips.

"Don't touch me in public." Illumi warned, grabbing after Hisoka's shirtfront and unintentionally exposing his whole muscled torso through the round collar of his over-sized T-shirt. "Whatever we do in private, don't ever touch me in public…"

"You're the one touching me," Hisoka complained, getting up and straightening his shirt. "Okay, enough foreplay? Shall we get down to business?"

"Fuck you," Illumi muttered as he strode towards the elevator core. He summoned an elevator that had to be unlocked by his keycard.

"No, Fuck _you_."

"Fuck off." They got into the glass elevator. Illumi had to swipe his card again. There were only 6 numbers on the control panel and Illumi pressed the top one.

Hisoka gave a low whistle, "That's fucked up."

"I'll fuck _you_ up."

The elevator door opened directly into the penthouse living room. The room had deep brown carpeting and was dimly lit by linear bars of recessed spotlighting from the ceiling. The surfaces were either smoky brown and mirrored, or they were richly varnished cherry. All the furnishings were earth-toned and minimalist. Prominently adorning one wall was a stainless steel six-pointed-star.

"Does this place belong to you?" Hisoka asked, amazed.

"No, it belongs to my grandfather. We always live here when we drop by York Shin. Come on." Illumi held open a bedroom door for Hisoka. It wasn't the master bedroom, it was Illumi's own room. There was a queen sized bed, a desk and a closet. No decorations whatsoever. When the door clicked shut, Illumi leaned back against it with an audible sigh.

Hisoka wandered over to the curtain wall and looked out. The city grid blazed orange until it reached the river and then stretched far into the low-rise suburbs of the other shore. This was bad, the "M" had an unobstructed view to the east, which meant that dawn would soon be pouring through the window. He drew the curtains tightly and plunged the room into darkness.

Hisoka took out a box from his bag and threw it on the bed. The message was clear.

XXX

"Are you ready?"

"I don't believe this, an assassin afraid of…this?"

"Or maybe you just need a longer time to get warmed up?"

"We _have_ to start somewhere…"

Two bodies moved on the bed. One of them clung to the back of the other, right hand clenched hard on his partner's long hair while the left wandered freely. At the same time, he whispered an endless stream of dirty words into the other's ear, watching for his reaction. His partner had his eyes scrunched tight, and responded with timid sounds when the pressure increased. His body was filled by a sweet sensation that he never wanted to end…

Illumi felt very horny now, he wanted Hisoka to continue doing whatever he was doing, they seemed to have melted into one soft river, flowing into the ocean and disappearing.

But Hisoka stopped with an evil grin.

"Your turn, buddy. You get on top."

It was time for their bet to be honored.

Illumi climbed on top of Hisoka, feeling uncertain. Hisoka watched him from the pillow, head turned to one side, one muscled arm raised above his head while the other brushed Illumi's arm. He smirked, looking very arrogant and perverted as he gripped Illumi between his knees without any sense of shame. Illumi refused to be intimidated. He put both hands on either side of Hisoka's head and wondered what he was going to do next.

XXX

A/N: To be continued in the next chapter...xD;;;

Sorry if this YAOI scene is a little sketchy, its meant to be nothing cuz it contains "no luv, just YAOI", the next one would contain more love but I warn you its pretty crazy and intense...thanks for bearing with me, it'll be updated very soon!


	11. Chp 11:Same Bed2

Summary: Illumi finds his voice.

Disclaimer: Don't own; Togashi's the owner.

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Warning: Rated 'M' for YAOI.

Please avoid if you are a minor. :x

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_**Now.**_

His time had come.

Illumi had climbed on top of Hisoka and put both hands beside his head. Other than that, his body was tense as if paralyzed. Why was he so frightened? Hadn't he survived the last time? Didn't he do it by locking himself inside his shell and performing as clinically as a doctor at the dissection table? After the exchange, he simply threw a wad of cash on the table and fucked off. Fair's fair; he exchanged his money for her body. Why should it be any different this time? Wasn't he simply exchanging his body for his partner's body? So perform already.

_No…I can't…_

His fear was fighting with his need and the result was spiritual cramp and physical paralysis. It was so hard for him not to retreat from the battlefield and back into his shell. _I won't do it like that! But what else can I do? He's waiting…_

Light fingers trailed down Illumi's ears, neck and arms, startling him. It might have been the darkness, but the _Henka's_ expression looked charmingly childlike.

"There's no right way or wrong way…just do it _your_ way." He softly hinted.

The air grew bright, though there was no light. Illumi's body floated with a strange lightness. Hisoka immediately sensed the change and locked onto Illumi's clear eyes with a direct and challenging gaze. His green eyes glittered fearlessly under lowered eyelashes, full lips curled flirtatiously at the corners and sweat trickled slowly down his strong neck into the hollow of his collarbone, which was throbbing with a steady pulse. Illumi placed a hand against his flushed skin, where he could see and feel his ribs with every rise and fall of his lean, muscled torso.

_Hot._

_Who is this stranger? How come I never thought about him this way before? Not just as another nen-user, but as someone I would actually want to know...uniquely? _

Illumi reached out and curiously traced the outline of Hisoka's finely-chiseled face. He drew his finger along the pleasingly pointed nose down to the wide, openly smirking mouth and the pointed chin. He followed the thin, perfectly arched eyebrows over sneaky, feline eyes and high, pale cheekbones. Every feature was so expressive of his quick, dancing personality, even the way he moved.

Illumi's small lips parted, he lowered his head and as if reading his mind, Hisoka lifted himself on his elbows to meet him. Illumi's eyes closed and he could feel his long hair tumble softly, strand by strand, as the two became lost in smelling the other, tasting each other, for the first time….

"What's your real name?" Illumi whispered.

Hisoka contemplated for a moment. Their kiss had been unexpectedly tender, even original. The beginner tasted fresh and it was cute how he bravely winged it, inventing his style as he went. But a few years from now, would he remember that once upon a random one-night stand he had invented kissing with a weird-ass Henka? Hisoka didn't think so. He had done this countless times and always forgot their faces and names the very next day. The only thing he cared about was applying the skills he gained for the next seduction.

If he told him his name, he would just forget it straightaway. If he didn't tell, he might puzzle over it forever.

"Secret." Hisoka decided.

"Please?" Illumi begged. He closed his eyes and licked Hisoka's cheeks and eyelids. Then he returned to his partner's lips, parted them and chased his tongue. Hisoka experimentally licked like he was "taking" the kiss. Colored lights exploded behind his eyelids and he leaned back on his elbows, feeling dizzy and weak. He ruefully sucked on his lower lip. If a simple kiss felt like this, then he was going to die being the _uke_. But if he survived, then he would have the knowledge to completely conquer his so-called _seme._ The prize was worth the risk.

He felt his chin lifted up by cold fingers and he saw his reflection in shy, saucer-like eyes. "I'm Illumi," his partner offered. "Say it. I want to hear your voice saying my name."

"Illumi…?" Hisoka casually obliged. His partner's eyes flickered with uncertainty at the sound of his name. Hisoka's eyes glowed. He sat up. "_Ne, Illumi…"_ he said it again and got the same odd reaction. Illumi avoided him as if he wanted to slip away but forced himself to gaze back with stubborn determination. His eyes were shadowy and his chest was rising and falling nervously. Hisoka immediately felt a jolt of heat, he reached for Illumi's neck and dominated his tongue. "Just fuck me, Illumi." He said, pushing him down on the pillow. He felt like topping him right then and there, they could do the _uke_ thing later.

Hisoka cursed. He found himself tipped over, with his arm twisted and squirming under the assassin's icy cold but surprisingly strong fingers. Well, this was inevitable so he held himself back but an angry, lustful Hisoka wasn't exactly a cooperative _uke._ Illumi wondered how he was going to get over this hump, no pun intended.

His partner was moaning in complaint. What should he do to get him to relax? Illumi vaguely remembered Hisoka making suggestive remarks into his ears, but he couldn't say those things! They were so rude! Maybe he should just tell the truth? He gave a big sigh and hugged Hisoka with all four limbs, breathed into his ear and buried his face in his neck.

"Mmmmm….You're so hot…"

Hisoka shut up and started to giggle. Illumi's attitude had certainly changed…

"Mmmm…," he crawled himself all over Hisoka's spine, trying to get them both comfortable. He watched his partner's eyes curl into two happy arches. Hisoka relaxed his body to enjoy his backrub, but instead he felt…!!

_Nnnghh!_ "Nnnghh!"

Illumi got in. Although it wasn't without pain! But where was he? What was this incredible heat…? It felt so damn…_unique!_ He could almost taste how special this signature was…

"You… Who are you?" Illumi gasped.

"You've… already seen…everything… I'm… made of." Hisoka barely managed a witty comeback. He was surprised he could still think, let alone say anything rational, when all he wanted to do was clench his eyes tight and weep like a violated little girl.

He groaned, drawing deep breaths and feeling fear flutter her cold wings against his stomach. Hot warrior instinct kicked in and he locked his penetrating green eyes on his opponent. A sadistic smile curved very, very slowly up his lips just to spite his fear. He would never ever, submit.

"Give me… all…you've got. Don't… even hold back…a single inch." His stubborn machismo contrasted with his weak voice and tense body language.

_You want it like that? You got it like that!_ Illumi pushed all the way in. Hisoka hissed in pain and at the same instant, Illumi's nails raked across his chest, drawing blood.

_Fuck!_ Both of them cursed mentally, convulsed by the same pain. They were one body, one mind, although not in a nice way. Their ragged breaths sounded very loud in the small room.

Illumi felt guilty and hugged Hisoka from the back. "No…How can I hurt you? I only want you to feel what I feel. I only want to…_belong together with you_." And he hugged Hisoka again. As soon as he said those words he snapped awake. Why did he even say that for? Did he mean it or did he only say it because he was the _seme_?

Hisoka lowered his eyes, breaths coming fast and pleasurably nervous. Did Illumi just say they belonged together? Did he mean it? Did he also sense a nocturnal sunrise – a new beginning?

Hisoka had believed in it. He believed it the moment it hit him. Why else would he offer his goddam_ anus_ to a complete stranger? He even knew exactly when it happened. When the shimmering lightscreens froze Illumi's beautiful face for a split second of eternity, he remembered innocence, and thought it would be nice to fall in love again. To set his plan in motion, he was even willing to sacrifice the only innocence he had left…

Hisoka felt his body submitting. It had been a while, so he almost forgot: love wasn't a game he played, love played _him._ He might unite with this beautiful stranger, for an hour, a day or a lifetime? Who could know…and was that supposed to make him sad and clinging? Of course not, Hisoka loved the unknown. He despised people who lacked the faith.

But right now? The concept was to get Illumi to fuck him senseless.

"Shut up….and put your finger… in my mouth…"

Illumi gave his body to Hisoka. They were so close, there was no way he could mistake what Hisoka wanted, he felt it all through his body language and whatever his partner wished, it gave him no greater pleasure than to give it to him. _Let's Go…_

They began their voyage to the depths, destination unknown.

Deeper…deeper…deeper down they went.

Hisoka started feeling strange. His chest felt heavy and it hurt. It was Illumi's fault, the way he moved crossed the line between love and lust. But the session was far from over, he had to continue to give in. The two had as much power to stay separate as two little waves riding the ripcurl…

Suddenly, Hisoka felt Illumi's body giggling in laughter. He licked Hisoka's ear and whispered. "You make me want to…make a baby with you." Then he laughed so hard he rolled off and curled up like a kitten.

Hisoka's jaw dropped and he quickly sat up to prevent the perverted assassin from getting on top again. The raven certainly concealed a wacky sense of humor beneath his deadpan face. Or did he just think this was all a game? Well, in that case it suited Hisoka even better. He had _very_ intense thoughts on his mind that he wouldn't want his lover to know about…especially when he looked at Illumi's fluid form, so muscled and graceful like a white snake. He tugged on the strands of Illumi's long glossy hair and took a deep breath from the crown of his head, enjoying Illumi's intensely attractive yet barely perceptible scent.

"Are you finally ready to be the _uke?_" Hisoka asked huskily, pinning the assassin's hands to the bed and placing his knee between Illumi's legs. "You had your chance, don't expect me to submit again." Illumi's eyes grew cruelly big and Hisoka felt a slap sting his cheek. The young assassin rolled away and sulked protectively on his stomach. He wasn't very strong but his inhuman flexibility enabled him to easily slip out of Hisoka's grip.

Hisoka's eyebrows furrowed up in the center, even though his eyes got busy enjoying the pleasing proportions of the raven's back and legs. He scooted over, skin touching, then pushed his nose against Illumi's arm like a puppy until his partner deigned to grace him with a cold disinterested stare. Illumi saw Hisoka's beaming green eyes emerge from behind his elbow, his head tilt, mouth open and give his arm a huge glomp. The startled raven raised his bow-shaped brows and parted his lips as if to speak, hovered in uncertainty, then decided to retreat back into his mask of isolation. Hisoka recognized it now.

Illumi had something to say but was afraid nobody would listen.

Hisoka smirked and pushed against Illumi with his face again. The assassin was already on the edge of the bed, so he simply got up and stood up. Hisoka pulled up the blanket and got inside.

Illumi stared blankly at Hisoka's form which was now a bump under the blanket. On _his_ bed. He squinted at the way the blanket quivered. He was sure the joker had an evil plan up his sleeve and if he joined him under the blanket he would be made the _uke_ for sure. What should he do? He was scared, but if he didn't take over, then their session would end… he didn't want that. His body still wanted Hisoka.

Illumi lifted the edge of the blanket and peeked inside. Hisoka sneaked him an inviting look. Illumi thought he looked cute but he didn't respond, instead he coolly dropped the blanket and sat on the edge of the bed. A little smile began to brighten his face; maybe being _uke_ wouldn't be _that bad_ after all? Hisoka did appear to get into it.

Illumi drew his legs protectively to his chest and hugged himself. His heartbeats were quieter now, but he had been in a real panic just now when Hisoka pinned his hands to the bed and climbed on top of him. He totally freaked out. He had a real phobia of powerful _Henka_ guys because they reminded him of getting beaten up by…his own powerful _Henka_ Father.

His smile disappeared. He knew that deep down inside, he desperately wanted to get closer to his partner, even if it meant submitting. But he was too frightened to give in...How could he? Hisoka could hurt him by leaving anytime.

His bones ached like lightning bolts shooting through his veins, but his face remained dry.

He was already hooked on his _Henka_ partner. He was hooked because Hisoka was _Henka,_ Hisoka was powerful enough to dominate him and Hisoka wanted him. It didn't matter if it was lust. He would settle for it. It pained him, but a hot body was a lot better the icy coldness of his own_ Henka_ Father. It made up for his feeling that he was second-class compared to his silver-haired younger brother. At least he wasn't completely worthless without his specialized abilities. And it felt good to laugh tonight, he even found dark humor in his situation. He buried his face in his knees and admitted to himself that he was a frickin loser who desperately wanted this guy from a random one-night stand whose name he didn't even know…just to find him lovable enough…to stay.

He felt the blanket fling open and Hisoka sit up.

"Hey, stop sulking. If it's not fun anymore you can just tell me, you know. I'll leave. Don't let me keep you past your bedtime."

Illumi paled. He turned with a hurt look and grabbed a fistful of the blanket but his breath hitched and he couldn't say anything. Of course the fighter could care less about him. If there was no sex he was leaving.

Hisoka's voice softened when he saw Illumi's tight lips and large anxious eyes. "Oh…I thought you were playing me…" He folded his knees under the blanket and wrapped his arms around them in imitation of Illumi's pose, whispered in a childlike way, "Ne, Illumi, what is it? We're so close already, why don't you just tell me?" Illumi felt the blanket he was sitting on being tugged lightly. "Isn't this uncomfortable? Let's hide inside here…I was waiting for you…come on…"

Illumi crawled underneath. He was enveloped by fluffy darkness and saw a pair of shining eyes beam at him, he could hear their rhythmic breathing and light feathery rustling of the covers as their bodies shifted. Hisoka's fingers brushed his hips. He protectively raised his arms to his chest…then decided to place it on Hisoka's ribs, where he could feel the steady heartbeat… he didn't even know what he was doing. Now he had rested his forehead on Hisoka's chest, Hisoka's arm was around his shoulder and caressing. His eyes popped open at the view of Hisoka's round, defined abs and narrow waistline which triggered embarrassing sensations in his body. He closed his eyes but found himself being seduced by the fighter's fresh, clean scent.

Hisoka's smell was impossible to figure out. He had a memory of Kukuru mountain in the fiery summertime. He would stare at the sun and observe how the light rays falling straight down at 90 degrees or slanting at 45 degrees looked just like a shower of golden rain. Then he would train with his own cloud of needles. He never thought of anyone. He never spoke to anyone. He never _needed_ anyone.

They were too close, they were too hot. Illumi felt their dark primal attraction humming and crackling between their bodies.

"No place to hide, Illumi, not even inside." Hisoka whispered, pushing his knee between Illumi's thighs and pulling Illumi's leg over his own. Illumi passively let Hisoka rearrange their bodies, just trying his best not to faint from the emotions that rushed through his gut in cold waves. He breathed silently but rapidly, his whole body trembled. He felt invasive fingers, but he didn't squirm away. "Too close to you? Getting under your skin…?" His partner asked suggestively. Illumi felt a crushing agony…yes, this was it. His forbidden need to unite. He thought he was going to cry, so he bit his lower lip, put his fist on the bridge of his nose and started shivering uncontrollably. "Shivering again…are you that cold? Ne, Illumi, don't be so cold to me…" Hisoka pulled them very close and both felt their bodies respond furiously. Illumi couldn't take the pressure anymore. His chest heaved, silent tears wet his cheeks and he canted his hips then pressed himself as close to the _Henka_ man as he could get.

In an instant, Illumi now found himself underneath Hisoka. One hand was pinned above his head while Hisoka pushed up his left leg and positioned himself in the middle. His lustful eyes pierced Illumi's mind with an intense, almost impersonal seduction. The playful Hisoka was gone. This was the real face of Hisoka the magician. A pervert for power. A man who goes after one-night stands so consistently for so long doesn't just do it out of lust. He was seeking the most intense emotional power in the world, and he didn't give a shit about what other people thought. They could all go lie to themselves.

But to gain this power, he needed a special partner.

"I lied to you, Illumi. I don't just want your body…" Hisoka whispered hypnotically into Illumi's ears. "Your innocence is killing me…" His voice trailed off mysteriously. It wouldn't be good to alert his prey to his dark intentions. He would discover it soon enough, anyway. He began to kiss Illumi coolly, leading him on, like a predator ambushing his prey.

Illumi allowed the tension to drain out of his muscles as he received the kisses. He sighed and gently enfolded Hisoka with his limbs, as if he really loved him. Okay, so he submitted. But it felt so…right…they belonged together. Hisoka should have been in his childhood, before all the training, the prostitute or the arranged marriage. They could have been innocent together. He could have been a real friend, not let him be the lonely child he often was. He really had been lonely, hadn't he? Hadn't he once wished there could be someone to hold him tight? He suddenly realized that was the deep and eternal feeling had been trying to remember, when Kelvin told him he loved things that skipped, sparkled and flowed like water. Once upon a childhood dream, he thought it would be nice to have a partner, they could fly together like 2 birds of passage and never be alone. That was why he liked to take orders, he would never have to feel he was on his own. How did he fool himself into thinking he preferred solo? How could he have forgotten his deepest wish? Sorrow pierced his heart and tears flowed but Illumi ignored them. It felt good, like the poison that had built up was now leaving his body, leaving him clean again. He felt a lot stronger now; he wasn't alone anymore.

Hisoka was also getting lost in the kisses. Who knew the raven could be so silent and sensual. His kisses were so sweet they turned him on in an odd way, as if he didn't have a worry in the world. Somehow his audacious schemes didn't feel that urgent. He didn't have to fight impatiently to be number 1. Why was that? Because the young assassin just asked to know who he was, uniquely? Because he hugged him so tenderly like he actually cared? None of his other one-night stands dared to cross that line, they only lusted for his hot body or powerful aura. Maybe Illumi was another perv, why else could he relate? They would find out soon enough, as soon as he could top the raven senseless…but in order for that to happen, the real Illumi had to emerge by himself and be captured. He licked Illumi's lips again. Victory tastes _very _sweet.

Illumi sat up and shyly wiped his mouth and face. Hisoka lay on his side and watched him with a curious, open expression. Something had changed; Illumi looked different. He looked calm, not in the aloof, detached way, but in a confident mysterious way…now why was that? He looked like he wanted to tell him something, then he retreated again.

Hisoka immediately covered Illumi's hand with his palm, "I'm listening…"he said softly.

Illumi stared like he was unable to say anything, finally managed, "I was interested in you right from the start, when I first saw you at the bathhouse. But I also hated you. I hated you because I'm jealous of _Henka_-types. But somehow I don't care anymore. I found out something more important, and that makes me happy."

"And what is it?"

"You." Illumi's small smile was so cute.

"Me?" Hisoka's face paled, his ears bleeped and for the second time that night, felt his heart pop out from his chest and float into the sky like a pink balloon.

Illumi gazed at him silently and mysteriously, then his lips sweetly curved and he calmly lowered his eyes until they were hidden in his long dark lashes. Hisoka immediately pushed Illumi onto his back, spread his legs and…they felt so right.

After some time, Illumi began to groan and scratch his partner's back. His body was rocked by spasms. Meanwhile, his partner pushed even deeper. He wouldn't let him rest. Illumi was crying for real now. He clung tightly to his partner, and a few moments later, it was his partner's turn to hold him in a bone-crushing hug and shudder…

Stars exploding behind their eyelids made everything hard to see. The air was snowing lights and every pore of their body tingled where the vibrations landed with the sound of crashing thunder. They felt very different; everything in the world was magnified.

Hisoka and Illumi stared at each other as if for the first time. Their flushed skins glowed with the innocence of the moon in water. Hisoka began kissing him passionately, caressing his sweat-slick body with gently demanding fingers. Illumi felt as if he had just woken up, each touch of his partner's body felt keenly sharp. Tides of lust drove him to plunge his fingers into his partner's pale hair, wrap his arms around his neck and the music continued, this time at a higher frequency, even deeper and crazier, like warning wail of a siren.

If their bodies were submarines, then the barometer would be turned all the way past the green, yellow and into the red zone. A mechanical siren would drone: HAZARD… HAZARD…HAZARD...

And the cabin would turn red.

Red light seemed to have filtered through the room but Illumi ignored it. Their crashing heartbeats were powering them ever onwards. Soon they arrived at a stopping point, but a few minutes later, the journey resumed, bringing them higher and higher… the end was nowhere in sight…

The room was illuminated by a deep rosy haze. The curtain blazed at the edges and blood red rays streaked along the walls. Dawn…the realization finally hit him. The sun rose early in summer, and the first rays were blood red because of the pollution. It must be close to 6am already and his airship would leave Ringo airport at 6:55am.

_Fuck the airship. Fuck Kukuru Mountain, too. _

Illumi snapped awake. Who said that? Did he say that?

_Fuck me, what am I thinking?_

"It's over", Illumi announced angrily. "Finished! I have to get to the airport right now." He pushed himself off the bed with a grim expression. His legs trembled like ice water and he tumbled to the floor.

"Illu-!" Hisoka gasped.

"Leave me alone!" Illumi cursed. He didn't like the sound of concern in his partner's voice. He made it to the bathroom and had to grab the countertop to stop from falling. Why was he so weak? Especially since his partner had done most of the…"work"?

Illumi blushed. He stared at his pale fingers tangled in the hot running water, mind troubled. Here he was, naked and slumped over the sink…some elite assassin. When he had arrived at the party, he was filled with one thought: Run, run away from the damned Kukuru Mountain. What else did life have to offer? He expected nothing, but destiny had jumped him right away. He met a man who interested him so much, he felt they belonged together. He had never met anyone like that before, and wondered if he ever would. How did that make him feel? He was like a non-gambler given a lottery ticket, didn't expect anything and now he was holding the jackpot in his hands.

He couldn't handle it.

_Best to do nothing. Make no promises, make no mistakes. Just try to make it on that airship on time. If I'm off-schedule even by 15 minutes, I'll have hell to pay._

In the mirror, Illumi saw Hisoka appear behind him. He was fully dressed in white shirt, dark pants and shoes as if about to say bye and leave. He had the nonchalant attitude of a man for whom one-night stands were routine.

"See you." Illumi said emotionlessly. Without waiting for a reply, he got busy washing his face. He heard the rustle of a towel tossed on the counter beside him and took it to dry his face and wrap it about his waist. He heard Hisoka leaning over the bathtub, raining cold water over his head with the hand held shower. When he turned, Hisoka was sitting at the edge of the bathtub drying his hair with a towel.

"We can leave together." He suggested. "By the way, are you mad at me?"

Illumi glared at him; he was mad at himself, not Hisoka. "What have I done?" He blurted with remorse.

Hisoka felt a little annoyed. Their session had barely started and Illumi had been a spoilsport to end it. Well, that couldn't be helped if he had to go to work, but come on, suggesting they did something bad? That was just a bit much.

"You mean, what have _we_ done?" Hisoka stared directly at his partner. "Something… Sensual, Exquisite and Xtraordinary. Or I can spell it out for you, that stands for S.E.X. and that was why you did it too."

"…" Illumi raised his eyebrows, too amused to be self-hating. "True."

"I'm also getting married soon."

Illumi paled as if his heart had broke. His eyes flashed accusingly at Hisoka.

"If it bothers you, you should have asked me before we did it. If you didn't care before, why should you now?" He got up and walked closer to Illumi. Illumi folded his arms and looked back stubbornly. He couldn't counter Hisoka's statements, but his sense of honor was outraged. Hisoka's smirk broadened. "Sex means nothing to me, my body is just a tool, didn't you say that?"

Illumi's eyes widened, he was unable to look at Hisoka, just felt faint and covered his mouth with his hand. Sensual images of their session flashed through his mind and his body responded with an urge to bond with Hisoka, even as his mind screamed. As if reading his mind, Hisoka had cornered him against the wall. He put one hand beside Illumi's head while casually slipping another on his hips. Illumi was losing his balance. He held onto Hisoka's waist, breathing nervously.

"When shall we do this again, Illumi?" Hisoka smoothly whispered.

"I – I," Illumi felt too weak to push Hisoka away now, his whole body was buzzing with attraction. He just looked up with heart-breaking honesty in his large eyes. "How can you even suggest this! You have a wife."

"I don't. I just said I was getting married soon."

"What are you talking about? It's still wrong!" Illumi said frustratedly. "So when are you getting married?"

"In 100 years."

"Hey, you lied to me!" Illumi's grip cut through Hisoka's shirt and drew blood.

Hisoka hissed, but he ignored it, there was a different, forceful look in his eyes. "No man, I'm helping you! You better learn fast if you want to survive as a consenting adult! I knew what I was doing. But you didn't."

Illumi's anger subsided, his eyes pleaded. "Is it wrong to try? I just want to know…what else is out there."

Even Hisoka found it hard to push through his final lines. Illumi would be hurt but he had to be, in order for him to understand. "So ask me…" His face was surprisingly childlike, and his voice was gentle.

"Ask what?"

"That's cool, I can start…"Hisoka's hands wandered up Illumi's side and he sighed. "Ne Illumi, do you have a girlfriend?"

"Of course not! How could I do such a thing if I did…" his expression grew horrified. "And you? Do you have a girlfriend?"

Hisoka looked pleased. "Good question. Do I?" He shook his head. "But I could easily have had a girlfriend and still go on the prowl. That should have been the first thing you asked me. But you don't care right? I was a one-night stand…or wasn't it?"

"I- I don't know."

"Speak your truth, Illumi. Do you want to do this again?"

"Me…I…" Illumi looked confused. "Well, how about you?"

Hisoka held him close and kissed his tiny nose. "No, I don't."

Illumi tears began to flow.

Hisoka's voice was very soft, "You still haven't answered my question."

"How much humiliation do you want to put me through?" Illumi made a half-hearted attempt to slip out of his partner's embrace.

"You have to tell me or I won't know what you want."

"No! No! I don't even want to see your face again!"

Hisoka sighed. His warmth of his hug didn't seem a reflection of someone who didn't want to see him again. In fact, the closeness of their embrace was bringing out lustful reactions in the both of them. Both of them gave in to a small kiss, which gradually became deeper. It tasted very sweet to Illumi. He only wanted to keep Hisoka close…

"How can such a devious fighter on the battlefield be so stupid on this one?"

"Why do you keep insulting me?" Illumi asked Hisoka's chest.

"Why don't you just answer my question?"

"What do I want?" The truth was hard to say. Illumi gripped Hisoka's shirt. "I only want you close to me. I want to…get even closer again."

"Then why didn't you just say so…"

"Because you…"

"Who cares about _me_! Speak your truth. Create it… the thing you want."

Illumi held Hisoka's hands and looked into his face. Was he listening? Or would he reject him? He thought about his harsh training as an assassin, when he was always given jobs a little harder than his skill level, so he could call out that _something_, from _somewhere_ to finish it. But he never discussed those moments. There seemed no point in sharing emotions. No one ever cared to hear him speak his truth. To hear his…_voice._

Illumi summoned all his courage to make his declaration. "I want belong… together… with you."

"Illumi, Illumi, Illumi. You did it, Illumi!" Hisoka whispered, neither accepting or denying his confession. "Hurt in the past, hurt in the future. And I hurt you, too …Will you believe me if I say I'm sorry?" He kissed his cheek, "Will you believe…" Hisoka's face turned deadly serious. "I really want to protect you…especially from myself."

"Stand up for yourself, Illumi." Hisoka said, and left.

Alone in his room, Illumi pulled back the curtains to look at the blood red dawn. He grinned while tears flowed down his face again. He felt in a more peaceful mood than he had been in a long time. It didn't matter that his new-found partner had left. Or that he promised to hurt him. He had found something he could call on to create a better day.

Illumi heard his own voice.

XXX

A/N: I chewed my lip through to write this. XDDD Well, how was it? HAHAHA Please leave a review if you enjoyed it, thanks!

EDIT Luv Sikk Epilogue will be in a separate fic...FEAT SHEI NONOKA! THE COOL ASSASSIN FROM CHANGES BY BIGSEED

You've reached last chapter, thanks for joining me on this crazy ride. Thanks BigSEED and Orange-Maple for the support, without you gals this YAOI would never exist that's for sure. I had a great time writing it, so thanks so much!!

XXX


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